Long Live The King
by Margaux Laurent
Summary: Coming back from Africa Lt. R. Kingsley must now navigate herself among the American Airborne, overcoming the prejudice the any woman would expect, jumping into France is her main priority but she's having a hard time ignoring the tug of her heart strings coming from a young soldier.
1. Welcome to Blighty

_Swindon, September 1943_

"Welcome to England" said Donald Malarkey as he disembarked the SS Samaria on which him and his men had been cooped up on for the past two weeks on their crossing from New York to England. The dockyard was windy and smelt of the sea, not that anybody minded the slight smell of fish when the wind hit their faces, much different from what conditions they had been bunking in.

"Shurrup Malarkey let's find the rest of 2nd Platoon" said Warren Muck walking past Don, who quickly followed in his friend's footsteps.

Surprisingly for Malarkey and Muck they managed to find the rest of their platoon easily and were ushered onto the long line of Army vehicles waiting to move them to their base. The men now knew that they were in England but they still didn't know where they were, nobody knew either, even the officers who knew where they were heading didn't know where they were. Lieutenant Winters had said to them that they would be billeted together in the army barracks but that the officers would be put up sooner or later in people's homes if they were willing to share their home and spare bedrooms.

"Hey Malarkey, where we at?" asked on if the men in second platoon, whose voice it was he couldn't be sure but it sounded like Eugene Roe, one of Easy's medics and who most people would call the finest medic, a hard-faced man who liked getting the job done but didn't get to involved in the men.

"Aldbourne, according to that sign" shouted back Malarkey and only a few moments later did the trucks start stopping and the men were told to move as quickly as possible to the barracks which they received from their platoon commander. The men were grateful when they got to eat some grub that night.

"Hey Skip, Skip, I'll be damned look at that, a broad" said Malarkey excitedly to Muck who was looking in the other direction only to attract the attention of the thirty men around him who all turned their heads and attention on the young woman crossing their base and heading for the officer's mess.

"Do you think she's lost?" Asked Frank Perconte as he looked on at her, many of the men shrugged their shoulders and carried on walking as they were tired from their day travelling.

"I guess we'll find out in the morning fellas" said William Guarnere as he barged passed them to get to his bed, no matter how uncomfortable he wanted his sleep, he could run Currahee no problem but he didn't like being transported and shipped for two weeks straight.

 _The Officer's Mess, early September 1943_

Lieutenant Kingsley arrived late for her sitting but not too late that she couldn't just slip on the end of the queue unnoticed by the rest of the American Officers, she surveyed them and they spoke quietly, most were a pasty colour with dark rings under their eyes, she looked around once more at them and she failed to spot another woman, the realisation must have been evident on her face as her knight in shining armour came to greet her.

"Lieutenant Kingsley, I apologise for not coming to find you, I've found the travelling tiring these passed few days" said a large man with a head of thick brown hair and a definitive jawline, she frowned in confusion at the man in front of her, she truly had no idea who he was. "Oh, I am making a poor job of this, I'm Lieutenant Nixon regimental S2 and for your benefit friends with your new platoon leader" he said to her flashing her a charming smile as she smiled slightly, it didn't reach her eyes, it barely even lifted her cheeks but it was one of thanks nonetheless.

"Thank you, Nixon" she said as she was plated up with her dinner, it looked sad on her plate but she wasn't about to complain.

"Come I'll introduce you two, makes tomorrow less of a shock" he smiled at her, he followed her looking directly down at her plate as she was perfectly aware that every eye in the room was upon her, and the gazes weren't all friendly. "Dick, I found your nurse" said Nixon to the red haired man seated alone who looked up from his food quickly to greet the woman who would be serving with him.

"Richard Winters, Rebecca Kingsley?" he asked her as he moved along the bench he sat on to make room for her, as soon as she sat down opposite Nixon she shook Dick's hand, keen to make a good impression upon him.

"That's right" she smiled at him "Nixon, I didn't quite get your name" she said to him as she took her first bite of food.

"Lewis, Lewis Nixon" he said to her and she nodded at him politely, which he returned as her hands were full of her cutlery.

"This is so much better than spam" said Rebecca as she swallowed her first bite of food, smiling to herself, she noticed that Richard and Lewis exchanged glances as she said that much to her confusion, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"You've been eating spam?" asked Lewis looking at her, his thick eyebrow raising as he dug back into his own dinner, he too was grateful for the food, food at this point was food army standard or not.

"We didn't get roast dinners in Africa" she said flatly to him, an amused smirk upon her face as Richard's head turned to look at her.

"You were in Africa?" asked Richard as he finished his measly meal wiping his mouth and leaning back on his chair as they still had fifteen minutes left of their sitting to kill.

"Oh yeah, I got back a few weeks ago, but hospital food may as well be spam for all I know" she said before filling her mouth again and shrugging "where are you from Lieutenant?" she asked Dick.

"Pennsylvania, you?" asked Dick eyeing up the woman in front of him, he couldn't deny that she was lovely to look at, even for a man starved of female presence she was a looker in every sense, she talked like a soldier, about spam rather brashly but her mannerisms were far from brutish she held her knife and fork delicately and correctly, only taking small bites at a time and her voice was incredibly polite, but none of that mattered to him but it was noticeable, he wondered if she was capable and found himself judging her because she was a woman, he'd not trained with her, he didn't know if she was strong enough, mentally or physically, but he reprimanded himself, this woman had seen combat, more than he could say and she was still standing.

"I'm from Scotland originally but I moved to London when I was sixteen, hence the slightly strange accent" she said with a light smile on her face "and you Nixon, I'm terrible with American accents you must excuse me" she said apologising for herself a hint of laughter in her voice and her blushing

"Don't worry yourself, it's a large country, New York, although I did study at Yale" he said offhandedly, an impressed face graced Rebecca's features, she knew that Yale was a good university to attend, but that also meant that Nixon was far from poor if she understood correctly.

The rest of the fifteen minutes was spent talking quietly between the three of them, Rebecca did not tell them much more about herself but she got to know the basics of the two men pretty quickly. They were good men from good families and she liked them although she could tell that Richard was assessing her as watched her and spoke to her, she found the both of them charming and reminded her of her own friends before the war. She knew since she was joining an all male platoon that if anything went wrong she would be blamed heavily for it and she was not prepared to take the blame for men making mistakes in training when she'd done it in real life before, and that platoon was under the command of Richard Winters and knew that she was a great risk on his head, she knew he was just doing his job, but she was only doing hers.

"...so report at zero nine hundred hours" said Winters as they headed in different directions to their barracks "oh and Kingsley, watch out for Captain Sobel" he said to her with a tight smile on his face, Lewis bade her a goodnight too before he too followed Richard to their quarters, Rebecca however made her way back to her billet. When she'd arrived they'd placed her in a family home which had been unoccupied and taken over by the Americans, she was thankful for that.

 _The next day_

That night Rebecca slept well enough, and arose early enough to have a shower and breakfast before she was due to report, the people of Aldbourne were used to seeing her in her uniform, the increase of activity in the area worried her, the children of Aldbourne were not street savvy and what she saw she could have seen coming. A child skipped along the road just as an American jeep came around the corner knocking her clean over, she was left crying in the middle of the road surrounded by clueless looking soldiers, Rebecca ran across the road to find the child. She could see the driver arguing with one of the soldiers.

"Move, everybody move out of the way please" commanded Rebecca as she knelt next to the child, she had her medical bag on her, the basics she liked to keep with her and what she didn't get restocked enough, what she didn't have was any splints or crutches. "It's okay sweetheart, what's your name then?" she asked the child calmly as she prodded and assessed her leg.

"Violet, miss" replied the child still sobbing and wiping her eyes as she looked at Rebecca.

"Violet, now that's a lovely name, can you point your toes for me Violet?" asked Rebecca, Violet tried to but found ot very painful and winced when she pointed it too much "does that hurt, darling?" she asked as Violet once again nodded, Rebecca also made her move her toes up to the ceiling to flex her foot and push her foot to either side, Rebecca quickly assessed that she'd sprained her ankle as she had fallen and her leg was just badly bruised. "Where do your parents live, Violet?" asked Rebecca kindly.

"They, they have the butcher's shop...my, my mum is going to kill me" she sobbed and the men around her gasped at such a statement.

"Because healthcare is so expensive, you Private go fetch me her mother please whilst I get this little one to the aid station" said Rebecca calmly before picking the child up, she was about twelve years old and around five foot tall. The private ran in the direction of the Butcher's shop, it was visible at the end of the street and it wasn't long before the mother arrived.

"Oh, my child, my child what happened?" asked Violet's mother looking at Rebecca as she lifted Violet into the jeep next to her daughter, the mother had tears in her eyes.

"Violet here was skipping across the road when our young driver came around the corner, he couldn't see her and he accidently hit Violet when he did so" explained Rebecca "I think that Violet has at least sprained her ankle and at most broken her ankle, I'll take her to the aid station, you don't have to pay that way, I think we owe you that" said Rebecca calmly.

"Thank you, my dear girl" said Violet's mother as she clasped onto Rebecca's hands, the same driver started to get into the jeep before he was stopped by Rebecca, her hand pulled his shirt back and gave him a sharp look before climbing into the front seat and driving the Jeep herself to the aid station, she had twenty minutes before she was supposed to report.

Upon arriving at the temporary aid station, she found a few medics loitering who had arrived early "Corporal, I have a young girl who's probably broken her ankle, she was hit by one of our drivers as she was crossing the road, I need her leg potted and her on crutches" ordered Rebecca looking him in the eye, the Corporal was stunned for a minute until he snapped into action.

"Yes ma'am" he said carrying Violet to the nearest bed with her mother following her and Rebecca standing at the end of the bed. "Ma'am, I think this is just a sprain I don't think that this will need any more than six weeks in pot before she should come back" said the medic, looking up at Rebecca for a second for her approval.

"I think you're dead right Corporal, and since we have no X-Rays yet, we'll pot it and give Violet here some crutches" said Rebecca praising the Corporal for his quick assessment, "So Violet, we'll put your ankle in pot and your mother will bring you back here in six weeks' time for us to take the pot off, putting a pot on doesn't hurt a single bit, you'll be feeling much better soon" she said as she collected the equipment she need from the storeroom and laid it out on a table. It was five minutes to nine when they had finished and Violet hobbled out of the Aid Station with her mother following in her wake after profusely thanking both the Corporal and Rebecca.

"I have to go now, I'll see you around Corporal" said Rebecca as she casually dismissed him, as he saluted her and watched her jog off in a different direction. He didn't know who she was, why she was there or how she got to be in the service, but he saw that she was an excellent nurse, she'd gathered that that was what she was as she was able to pot the girl with no trouble.

 _Reporting for duty_

At nine on the dot did Rebecca arrive to report for the day to Captain Sobel who as she had been warned was in a foul, foul mood. "YOU ARE AT THE POSITION OF ATTENTION!" shouted Captain Sobel from where he walked and paced in front of the men assembled. Rebecca made sure she was rigid as he walked past her as she stood next to the other officers. As she moved her eyes amongst the company she spotted the medic she had worked with earlier at the Aid Station.

"Today we are going on exercise" shouted Sobel although not as loud as he had shouted before "and we'll be putting our new medic to the test" he added in his normally loud talking voice, everything about the man was loud, his presence was loud, his voice was loud, his pride was loud, and there was something that Rebecca didn't like about him. "Lieutenant Kingsley, has joined our company, she will be training with us from now on, dismissed, you have five minutes to grab your gear" he said as the platoon commanders commanded their men to fallout.

"New medic?" exclaimed and questioned Malarkey.

"More importantly, she?" said Skip.

"She'll be useless, probably slept her way here" commented Cobb.

Rebecca ran to grab her stuff, fully webbed up in under two minutes and was first back to the command post, she looked around at the men gathered, they were all huddled together pointing and murmuring, Rebecca internally rolled her eyes, it was always the same everywhere she went. The next men to assemble huddled elsewhere, nobody approached her.

Soon enough the men got going, they were walking through the woods headed by Sobel with first platoon and second platoon followed him headed by Lieutenant Winters. Rebecca walked at the side of the platoon where she would usually do so on operation with easy access to everybody, she could see the other medic from earlier on the other side of second, sending glances at her every now and again then shaking his head. When first platoon split off from second the men then started talking more, she smiled to herself almost laughing at them arguing between themselves at who was going to ask her.

"Lieutenant" somebody asked, both Richard and Rebecca turned their heads towards them, and Winters nodded at Rebecca as the man was looking at her and not Winters.

"Yes, Private" she said to him, her voice inviting.

"Who are you, miss?" he asked her before looking straight down at her feet.

"When speaking to a female officer you say ma'am, let's try that again Private," said Rebecca to which most of them men reacted to, she could see some of them looking at her.

"Who are you, ma'am?" asked the Private again emphasising 'ma'am' comically much to the amusement of the men around him, Rebecca rolled her eyes, for now that was the best she was going to get.

"You've already been told, Private, I am Lieutenant Kingsley, I am your new combat nurse" she said "whoa are you soldier?" she asked him.

"Cobb" he said before once again emphasising "ma'am" when he added her title on the end. Rebecca rolled her eyes at him.

"If you're going to do that every time you address me I can tell you who will get bored first soldier" said Rebecca rolling her eyes at him before focussing herself forward again. The men were once again muttering beside her as they walked, the woods were narrowing so forcing them all together more tightly, but then men still wouldn't go near her.

The rest of the exercise ran smoothly, they all managed to get to their objectives on time, but Sobel wasn't letting up that easily not on Rebecca.

"Lieutenant, I am surprised to see you're not out of breath, don't worry it will be much harder out in the field for you, believe you me" he said to her, mocking her where she stood and took off her helmet. She snapped to attention in front of him.

"All due respect sir I think I'll manage" she said to him, not looking him in the eye and a frustrated Sobel wandered off, the man from earlier and the people around him all looked at Rebecca with sympathetic gazes, they knew what would come next.

"Boy, you'll pay for that Lieutenant" laughed some of the men and they too wandered off to find some grub.

Rebecca looked around at their smiling faces, how much longer until they too learnt the harsh reality of war.


	2. Taking it on the chin

Captain Sobel had taken her words very badly and she now knew what the boys had meant when they said that she'd pay for her words. Latrine and sentry duty every night and her weekend pass disappearing for a full week. As Rebecca stood mopping up the toilet she looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, closed her eyes and remembered.

" _Becca, get out of here, get out, save yourself, Becca!"_ she could hear in her head, the voice of her previous CO, Captain Oliver Callaghan, " _Becca go!_ " he said to her before she turned and start running, she saw the shell hit him as she was running and looked back, her breath caught in her throat, before turning around for the scream of medic. She opened her eyes again and furiously wiping the floor, more than she should have done, the voice in her head telling her that she could have saved him, if she'd gone back, if she'd dragged him. She returned the mop and bucket from where she found it before walking away and back to her billet, the men of Easy who were loitering watching her every footstep.

"Lieutenant" addressed one of the men before her who was standing about the gate with some of his friends from the Company, she recognised them from her own platoon.

"Sergeant" she addressed him as he dropped his salute towards her, she smiled politely at them all, "I don't recall any of your names" she said to them in a hint for them to introduce themselves.

"Sergeant Guarnere, ma'am, this is Private Malarkey, Private Muck, Staff Sergeant Martin" he said pointing at each men in turn, she smiled at them again in turn, a small greeting to them.

"We were wondering ma'am, why you're here, we ain't ever seen a woman in an infantry uniform, that's all ma'am" said Martin to her after a moment of awkward silence between them.

"I was reassigned from the British unit I've been with, they didn't tell me why in all honesty but I don't think I'm leaving anytime soon" she told them looking up and around the gate at the evening sky in Aldbourne. "I am nurse by trade, but I wound up in the service just like everybody else did and now I'm here" she said to them "Good evening to you" she said and left them at the post, she was caught by one of the battalion orderlies with her American uniform which she should be wearing from now on. She looked at the equipment and had a lot of sewing left to do, she didn't have duty tonight and her week of punishment had ended, in her personal opinion the latrine had never looked so clean.

Walking back to her billet was a peaceful way to end the day, the small house was on the other side of town and the scenic walk gave her time to reflect. After washing and changing she sat down to sew her uniform until somebody rang her bell, about an hour before dinner started in the mess, if she was to go.

Rebecca opened the door to find Lieutenant Winters on her doorstep "Come in Lieutenant" she said, putting another smile on her face, it was the most she's smiled in weeks, in the past week with the new men.

"Thank you" he said before taking off his cap and following her to the small kitchen. "I was just calling to see how you were finding your first week with second that's all" he said to her softly as he leant against the opposite counter to her.

"That's very kind Lieutenant" said Rebecca in reply, she felt intimidated by Winters' presence at times, he was a natural leader, she could see that and the men admired him too, she thought that the men were more loyal to him than they were to Sobel.

"Please, call me Dick, when we're alone, we're of the same rank after all" he said to her, his voice taking an impressed tone, rather than the mocking one most men took when they saw her rank.

"Then I insist you call me Becca" she said to him "my first week was more daunting than challenging than I expected, I'm not sure the men respect me and only don't act up because of my rank and not because of me, training is a nice change from the front I will grant them that but sometimes it's hard to take belittling from a man who's never seen action about my own performance on the chin" she said laughing nervously towards the end.

"Why don't you tell them?.. That you were in Africa, a certain amount of respect is commanded by experience" said Dick, his head slightly tilted to one side in questioning.

"You can't command respect...I'm sure it would be different if I was a man...besides, they'd ask questions I don't like answering" she said to him waving her hand infront of herself, dismissing his comment, "forgive my manners, can I offer you a drink of some sorts?" she asked him, but he put a hand up.

"No thank you" he smiled to her "I think you've done well to say the entire army you've joined isn't your own for pete's sake and that a man on home soil doesn't want you here...I am just worried that the men will start being more vocal towards you with their doubts that they've raised with me...no, no, I think you're perfectly capable don't worry and I didn't tell them where you had served, that's your prerogative, but I expressed my confidence in your ability and that was all" he said to her, she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled a smile of thanks. "Nix, Harry and myself are going to go to the bar tonight and I know you have a free pass whether you want to use it or not so, how about it, I need someone else sober to help me" he said to her, a lopsided smile gracing his face.

"Alright, let me get changed, wait here" she said to hm before jogging upstairs to the one room she was occupying in the house where her so called 'Class A' uniform was laid, already sewn by herself only moments before. She quickly put her uniform on and pulled her hair differently, although still not touching the makeup that was laid teasingly on the dresser. She quickly made her way back downstairs to see Lieutenant Winters looking out of the window onto the neglected garden.

"Ready Becca?" he asked her smiling.

"Ready Dick" she said and shyly took his offered arm, blushing slightly which she managed to hide by looking around and at her feet, it was strange to be treated like a woman again, when she'd served with the British after two years the novelty wore off and she bought her own drinks and she took herself to the pub and defended herself against slurs sent her way.

The Aldbourne air was cool on that September night as the walked to the end of town where she could already hear that the pub was in full swing. She saw some of the enlisted men in her own platoon smoking outside with women hanging on their arms, they didn't notice that her own was attached to Winters' arm.

"Look look, Dick's bagged himself a date" said Harry excitedly to Nixon from the corner until he saw who it was "sorry false alarm it's just Rebecca" he said slumping back in his chair, his whiskey in his hand.

"Just Rebecca? _Just_ Rebecca? Put it this way she's not exactly a poor sight is she now" said Nixon shaking his head at Harry who just shrugged and silently agreed, ever being faithful to Kitty Grogan. Nixon had been quite taken with Rebecca since she arrived, she was quite the opposite of his estranged wife Katherine. Katherine was a tall skinny woman with a pretty face and neat blonde hair with an icy stare, she was pretty to say the most but she was very plain, Rebecca had a fuller figure and a definitely more muscular posture, with brown hair which often escaped around her face when she was working.

"Evening Lewis, Harry" she said to them before sitting down in between Winters and Nixon and opposite Harry at the table.

"Evening Rebecca, Dick" said Harry raising his glass to her in greeting to her which she widely smiled at, the drunken Irish man's antics never seemed to tire her, even living in Scotland she'd never seen someone who could drink as much as Harry without developing an alcohol problem.

"Good evening Rebecca" smiled Nixon with his most charming smile at her to receive a polite one in return "can I get you a drink?" he asked her hopefully.

"Oh, I can buy myself one, thank you, I'll get a round in fact" she said before once again getting on her feet and smiling as she did so, she didn't mind buying for them, just one round, she knew that Dick didn't drink and she wasn't going to either, she ordered whatever Harry and Lew were drinking by asking the bar man.

"So you asked her to come" said Nixon sheepishly before raising his eyebrows at Dick suggestively.

"No, not at all Nix, I went round to see how she was doing and asked her to come down, help me out with you two at the end of the night" said Dick, defending himself rather quickly against Nixon's comment.

"I suppose you told her how she was doing well, flashed her a lopsided smile and offered her an arm" said Nixon impressively, tapping his finger to his temple.

"Knock it off Nix, I've known her a week, and besides no fraternizing, not with anybody" said Dick sternly although it didn't deter Nixon.

"But you can't deny she's goddamn gorgeous" said Nixon leaning back and folding his arms giving Dick a pointed look.

"I am only human Nix" grumbled Dick at his best friend which earned a laugh from Harry who was already starting to get giggly "besides Becca is a focussed soldier, I'd be surprised if she's noticed anybody in years" commented Dick rolling his eyes and clasping his hands and putting them on the table.

"Becca now is it?" he asked Dick laughing at him since he was glaring furiously at Nixon who seemed to be all to pleased with himself.

"Sorry it took so long" she said sitting down with a tray full of drinks only to then notice Dick's disgruntled face, Harry's giggling disposition and Nixon looking all too pleased with himself "Lewis, what did you do?" she asked him, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh nothing, just being right that's all" smiled Nixon to himself, "Come on Rebecca, let's dance" smiled Lewis before grabbing her hand and practically dragging her out of her seat and to the dance floor.

"Lewis I don't dance!" She exclaimed to him although he pulled her close anyways, expertly holding her in his arms swaying to the music and spinning her when he felt like it. She smiled at him as he brought her back into his hold."But evidently you can dance" he said to her speaking in her ear with a low voice. He then straightened himself up again and led her back to their table where Dick and Harry were laughing amongst themselves.

"I didn't know you could dance, Becca" said Dick leaning back in his chair and turning slightly towards her, his arms splayed on the back of his chair and his posture was open towards her.

"Somethings you just pick up" she said shrugging.

"But you don't just pick up dancing like that" said Harry but dropped out of the conversation moments later already starting a new one with Lewis.

Rebecca looked over Dick's shoulder slightly to see a face she thought she recognised, abruptly ending her conversation with Dick "Excuse me a moment, thank you" she said before making her way over to a corner of the bar occupied by some other men, British men.

"I'm sorry gentlemen but is Major Charlton in town, Harry Charlton?" She asked them looking around at all their faces looking up at her.

"By the Gods if it wasn't Becky" exclaimed one of the men his eyes wide with realisation "come Becky have a drink" he said to her.

"George? You've changed so much" she said to him as he got up from his chair and gave her a hug which she returned enthusiastically.

"I could say the same for you" said the young sergeant "are those Lieutenant bars?" He asked her to which she nodded "well done Becky!" He said to her smiling.

"I'm working with the Americans now, how are the rest of the boys doing?" She asked him, her eyes fearing the worst.

"The boys are fine, we were pulled a week later, we lost Callahan, Howard and Pembroke but that was it, we're awaiting orders, looks like we'll be going soon, Major Charlton is in London nowadays when we see him next we'll tell him you're about" said George running his hand through his brown hair.

"Well gentlemen it's been a pleasure seeing you again, I wish you the best of luck" she said to them all before leaving them with a flash of a smile, she could hear George telling what she assumed to be replacements who she was, the rest of the night the same privates were looking her way.

"Who was that?" Asked Dick as she came and sat down again.

"My old buddies back when I was Corporal Kingsley" she said as she sat down, a nostalgic smile crossing her face as she ran her fingers around the rim of her glass.

"But they're commandos?" Said Dick looking at her, a questioning eyebrow raised in his forehead.

"Yes, well they were, No. 2 commando became British 1st Airborne but those men stayed with the commandos, we all did our training but we were sent to Africa as reinforcements and combat support, only we ended up being the main assault" she said to him before looking back up at him.

"You were a commando?" Asked Dick looking at Rebecca his eyes wide with surprise.

"Honestly I don't see why that surprised you, who else would they let join the American Elite" she said rolling her eyes.

"Because you're a woman" fell from Dick's lips before he could stop them, and his face showed immediate regret.

"Of all people Richard, I thought you would be the last to say that too me, it so happens you are the second" she said before turning him a cold shoulder and striking up a conversation with Lewis, Harry sending him pitying looks as Rebecca largely ignored him, Dick shrugged it off and struck up conversation where he could find it, making sure to boast about Rebecca where he could and when she was in earshot.

' _Smooth_ _git_ ' thought Rebecca.


	3. Don't move

"If you're going to take a man's life it is best you know also how to save one" began Rebecca in a lecture she was giving second battalion, to company Dog, Easy, Fox, George, How and Item, with almost six hundred men assembled, she was stood on a platform in the middle of a large tent so everybody could see her.

"You all carry Aide kits, smaller than that of your medic but a kit nonetheless, make sure this is always stocked up" she added to them, it was nerve racking standing in front of so many men who would rather not be there "Most importantly never give a man anymore than two shots of Morphine, administer the morphine quickly before the causality goes into shock, he has a better chance of survival, and mark in pen or blood or anything even lipstick on his forehead a large M with a strike for every shot of morphine given and pin the syrettes to the man's jacket, but first you must call for medic, this is only in the case of emergency where no medic is available" she said, almost shouting, she found it strangely comforting to see that second platoon had taken up the front seats and were listening intently, she supposed that Dick had put them up to it.

"Ma'am where do we stick the morphine?" Asked a private from Dog Company.

"The best place to stick a morphine injection is in the shoulder or the thigh" she replied addressing the whole room with her response to one man's question.

The rest of her talking was about correct application of a bandage and took a sick pleasure in blinding Lieutenant Speirs of Dog company with a bandage in demonstration much to the amusement of the men and surprisingly the man himself.

"You will now listen to your own medics from your own platoons and practice applying simple bandaging and tourniquets" she said to them and the men started to move "second platoon with me" she called to them and they all moved together around her.

"You boys best be the best at this" she laughed before handing out her training supplies to each man.

"Don't worry Lieutenant we've got this" assured Malarkey at the amusement of the others who shook their head at him, Rebecca knew that Malarkey had trouble picking up any sort of medical skill whatsoever.

"Okay, you've all been shot in the arm, no exit wound what do you do?" She asked.

"Put a bandage on it!" Cried Muck thoroughly pleased with himself, but only met an exasperated Rebecca.

"No" she said flatly making the others laugh at Skip "you need to dig that piece of shrapnel out of the man or woman's arm, then what next, come on Muck you can do this" she said smiling widely at him.

"I know this you bandage it" he exclaimed again and Becca hung her head at him, silently laughing.

"Not quite, just leave your bandage out of it for a moment" she said and the men were still laughing, they were learning though and she could see them working it out, though one particular Captain Sobel didn't quite like the merry noises coming from his platoon. "Sulphur powder, it stops the primary infection and gives a better chance of not contracting a secondary infection" she explained and they all collectively nodded their heads, even Dick was smiling and laughing with the men, he always did seem more comfortable with the enlisted men.

"No Skip you can put your bandage on, do it in my arm, come on" she said and his face was one of great concentration.

"Now fellas I do know how to do this" he said confidently at them, they all jeered at him slightly but good naturedly "I can, I can, I promise!" He said to them and much to Becca's relief he did it correctly, a tiny smile spreading in her stomach, at least she'd done something right.

"Such an accomplishment Muck" she said to him, the faked being wounded by her comment, making her smile broaden ever so slightly.

"Lieutenant Winters, care to recall the procedure for administering morphine?" she asked him as she snapped him out of his thoughtful gaze.

"Yes" he said to her before hesitating "pin the syrettes on the man's jacket, write an M on his forehead and a strike, call for help" he said slowly counting three steps on his hands before smiling slightly at her."Correct Lieutenant" she said to him, despite her best efforts and Malarkey's promise, second platoon did not have it covered, only for her to look around to see the other medics huffing in frustration and shouting at their men, at least she had a slight smile on her face. "Uh-oh, here comes trouble" she said mainly to herself but to the amusement of the men, who all laughed until they saw Lieutenant Sobel march through them to face her.

"Miss Kingsley" he said to her, once again in her face, "do you find this subject so unimportant that you can make a joke of it?" he asked her, she was completely baffled by his question.

"I am sorry, Sir" she said to his question before looking down at her feet then back up at him, his face seething.

"I asked you a question" he spat at her, his face was always so close to hers when she was getting shouted at.

"I don't find this subject funny sir" she said to him, her brow shrinking into a frown.

"Then stop laughing, these are my men, not your friends" he said to her before storming off to her, the men shaking their heads in disbelief and Dick glared at him as he walked by.

"Son of a bitch" said Bill rolling his eyes, agreed by

"Thank you Bill" said Rebecca smiling before slightly laughing "Oh crap I'm not allowed to laugh" she scolded herself and she said that much to her own amusement and chuckled silently, the platoon also started to chuckle lightly but were too worried about latrine duty for it to last long. "That concludes what I have to tell you, any questions?" she asked them her arms folding in front of her and her legs standing strong with her shoulders rolled back.

"Have you see action before?" asked Skip, they looked round at him every single one of them, they weren't going to say anything out loud to her.

"Shit Skip, you can think that shit but you can't say it" whispered Malarkey from the corner of his mouth his eyes fixed upon Rebecca's whose facade didn't flicker for even a second, although her eyes sought Dick, who looked back at her softly.

"I did mean questions relevant to battlefield treatment and evacuation" she said shrugging her shoulders which made Skip look down for a second. "Actually yes I have, a lot compare to you guys, I've been to France, Italy, the Mediterranean, and more recently Africa" she said to them.

"Okay, a lot a lot compared to us guys" said Christenson, raising his eyebrows and widening his eyes momentarily as he said so.

"Okay, you lot are dismissed, go, go" she said to them, they happily left the large tent which was becoming less and less occupied with men, until only Winters and Becca remained, they'd been given the afternoon off after all.

Rebecca sat on the edge of the small platform her legs dangling as she did so, she sat silently next to Dick who joined her moments later. Dick put a hand on her shoulder as he sat down, which made her snap her head up, their eyes meeting briefly before she looked out again.

"You did well, I mean even I remembered something, it takes me a long time to understand anything unless I've studied it" admitted Dick to her.

"Really? I kinda guessed you were born smart" she said to him jokingly "you always know what to do, it's kind of impressive to see" she said to him.

"Thanks, I do after all try" he said to her puffing his chest out comically "nah you did well" he said to her after a little moment's pause. "Well you told the men" he said to her.

"I guess I did...now I'm going to be the subject of gossip and rumours for at least a month before everything dies down...and I'll get hammered for parading myself about, any excuse the bloody man gets he's on to me, he's got it out for me I tell you" she said her voice quickening in frustration at the man.

"I don't think you're wrong, but you aren't the only one...back in Toccoa we were on our friday night march and we weren't allowed to drink water otherwise we got reprimanded, well Christenson took a drink and Sobel found out, he made Christenson do the march again, he passed out when he got back, and I was reprimanded for making the company look bad and had to give six men in the company some sort of punishment, I couldn't find any infractions, I had to find some and give them latrine duty" recounted Dick, the details of the particular excursion clear in his mind.

"Christ, I did all my training in Scotland, at eighteen I was recruited, I did all my training and then they put me with No. 2 Commando, we then became the British 1st Airborne, the training was a lot harder than what I've seen you do whilst you're here but I expect it shall be the same soon" she commented "come on tell us a story from basic, I'm interested", she said to Dick nudging him slightly with her shoulder.

"Alright, let me think" he said to her before smiling to himself "so I'd just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant and my first task was to be mess officer for a week, so on the first day we had spaghetti as Sobel said that the men had the afternoon off, they all sat down to army noodles and ketchup, before half way through Sobel barges in, we needed to be in PT gear in two minutes to run Currahee, this huge mountain, three miles up three miles down, we were all sick" said Dick, and a Rebecca wrinkled her nose at the story.

"Dick, that was...that was disgusting" she said before laughing which he joined into, Dick watched Rebecca laugh, he rarely saw her laugh, a true laugh, she did laugh when she was nervous or agitated, but her shoulders were shaking this time around and her eyes were crinkled at the edges.

The rest of the day ran smoothly, Nixon was busy at Battalion working as company S-2, so Harry, Dick and Rebecca spent the day in a small pub in Aldbourne.

The following Monday

Lieutenant Winters' crouched down behind a bush next to Lipton as second platoon await Captain Sobel and first platoon, Becca could see Dick looking at his watch again and again before speaking to Lipton.

"Sobel's lost again isn't he?" said Guarnere as he crouched shaking his head as he crouched beside Becca, she nodded her head slowly.

"Sure thing, Bill" she said to him before looking at Dick, she could hear what the two were saying.

"We have to move" he said shaking his head before looking at the road again, in a last attempt for Sobel.

"With Captain Sobel and first platoon, sir?" asked Lipton, his face was questioning of Winters' plan but he too knew that the exercise would collapse if they didn't because their CO couldn't read a damned map.

"It's a T-Intersection, we improvise" said Winters matter of factly looking at Lipton, slight annoyance in his voice "Double involvement, lay down a base of fire and cut off all directions, Lipton you hook up with 1st squad, Guarnere you take second squad on the left, and I'll be up the middle with third, Kingsley you're with me, go" said Winters and the men began to move immediately, Dick looked around once more but couldn't see Sobel anywhere. As the three squads started to move an old man on his bicycle was cut off in all directions, and finally put his hands up when he was approached by Dick.

"That's it Yanks, you've got me" the old man smiled which was returned by Dick., as soon as he finished speaking a loud shout came from Sobel who was running up the road with first platoon.

"Hi-yo silver!" shouted Sobel confidently although when he saw second platoon in position his face contorted angrily.

"Is that the enemy by any chance?" he asked Dick did the old man, he had his eyebrows raised at the stupidity of Sobel's movements.

"As a matter of fact, yes" said Dick before tipping his helmet to the man who was once again setting off on his bicycle and back into the village of Aldbourne. "Well done second platoon, we've captured the objective" smiled Winters at his men.

"Ah dinnae ken what he's doin'" said Rebecca, emphasising her already thick Scottish accent, much to the confusion of Winters who looked at her with a frown on his face in confusion of where her accent suddenly came from.

"I didn't know you had an accent like that" said Guarnere looking at her thoroughly confused.

"Well I do an' I don't, force of habit, I hide it a lot more, received pronunciation and all that jazz, but I'm from Scotland, what did yer expect, laddie?" she asked him, a broad grin on her face, and the men shaking their heads at her "Ah dinnae ken if yer gonna be able to understand me" she said, Dick looked at her again now smiling to himself, in the lecture when she was nervous her accent was coming out a lot more and when she was talking to him the other day it was too when she was comfortable, it made much more sense than what first appeared.

"Boy, I am glad that the Army has hand signals" said Malarkey shaking his head at her before jogging to catch up with Skip and the other lads, the boys were all bitching and moaning about Sobel.

When they finally got back to base at four in the afternoon, Richard, Lewis and Rebecca were stood next to a supply truck when Sergeant Evans came ambling up purposefully towards them handing Dick a letter. "With Captain Sobel's compliments, sir" said Evans before getting back in the jeep which Bull Randleman bounced a ball off as they were shooting hoops in the town.

"He spelt Court Martial wrong" said Lewis in judgement of Sobel though completely understanding the severity of the situation. Dick left the two of them immediately in silence, Becca and Lewis felt sorry for him, he was the bane of Sobel's career, because he was so much better.

"Lewis, what do we do if Dick get's court martialled?" asked Rebecca, her voice quiet looking at Lewis for answers, her face sullen, she'd found a very good friend in Dick Winters.

"I don't know...you'll be making the jump with Sobel" said Lewis looking at her pityingly.

"Lewis, we're gonna have to start finding loopholes...and now" she said looking at him, to which he nodded, they quickly made their way over to the officer's quarters, where Becca had never actually entered, where they found all sorts of field manuals and books.

It was late that night when Dick came back, they'd heard no news all day but had be occupied trying to find some way of getting Dick out of a Court Martial. "Nix, Becca...I am being court martialled for cleaning the latrine at 1000 hours instead of 0935...and what's more half the men mutinied in an act of rebellion against Sobel, Sergeant Harris is being transferred but nobody has been shot."

"My God" said Nixon under his breath looking at Dick, his face had dropped and he didn't have any sort of glint in his eye.

"Well, we've been trying to find loopholes for the last eight hours and we're getting close" said Becca standing up and laying a hand on Dick's shoulder "I would have mutinied too if I could, none of us want to make the jump with Sobel, the men are far more loyal to you then they are any other officer in the whole army" she said to him, looking down at him as he looked forward, his own hand covered Becca's.

"Thank you, good night Becca" he smiled at her before letting go of her hand and letting her leave for her own billet, a lonely walk, but she took her time to think on Dick's court martial and the mutiny.

"I'll meet you outside HQ tomorrow" she said to Nixon before leaving.

She stopped by the field where a horse hung its head over the stone wall, which separated it from the road, a huge Shire by the looks of it, it nickered slightly as she stroked down it's face and played with it's forelock, scratching it under the chin, she said goodnight before walking into the billet.

Her billet was surprisingly cold, and a wind was blowing through, as she carried on walking she could see the back garden was blowing through and the windows were open, her heart started to pound, she'd never leave the windows open and she'd never opened the back door, as far as she was concerned it didn't even work, she carried on walking, picking up a walking stick from the hallway as she did so.

"Don't move" said a voice from the darkness, then with a great force she was pinned against a wall with a knife to her throat, her first reaction was to knee him in the groin, tankful she was wearing her battle dress uniform which allowed her to move freely. The man stumbled back slightly and she picked up the walking stick again, he came at her again with a full thrust attack, he cut her side open but her adrenaline was too high, with a shout she pushed him into the wall throwing her full body weight into him before grabbing his head and smashing it into the wall several times before spinning him round and punching him straight in the jaw, not knocking him out but knocking him down, she stamped on his wrist making him drop the knife and on his stomach for good measure, hitting the light she saw who her attacker was, an enlisted man but she didn't know who he was. Putting a hand to her side she felt the blood oozing out of her. Crawling onto the pavement she waited until a soldier came along who was on sentry duty. It wasn't long before somebody came along.

"Ma'am are you okay?" asked the soldier crouching down beside her, he looked at her face "Shit, it's Lieutenant Kingsley" he said to the other man who was with him.

"No, I've been stabbed, but the man in there attacked me, he's banged up, I need to see Colonel Sink" said said to the man who was crouching beside her, the other was inside the house already and dragging out her assailant.

"G Company" he said, dragging him out, Becca ordered the men to get a jeep and wake Colonel Sink, who looked a little disgruntled to be awaken from his snooze, although still in his uniform.

"Now what is it?" asked the Colonel, his tone sharp and face screwed up.

"Lieutenant Kingsley has been attacked, Sir, she's at the Aid Station, we've also got the man who attacked her, she made a fine job him before we got there, sir" said the young Private to the Colonel whose eyes were wide and he jogged over to the Aid Station where a feeble Becca was sitting.

"Shit Lieutenant, no, no, stay where you are" he said as she tried to stand up.

"I am sorry I got stabbed Sir" she said to him, her voice breaking as she said it and her eyes stinging, she'd disappointed him in her eyes and she was embarrassed.

"I can hardly reprimand you for being stabbed" said Colonel Sink, his arms folded "what happened?" he asked her, now he was fully awake and his arms were folded, his stance aggressive.

"I came to my billet, which had been broken into but before I could leave, I was pinned against a wall and a knife to my throat, if you take a look at my handy work, sir, I think you'll figure what happened next" she said pointing over at the opposite bed, wincing and wheezing as she did so. She was asleep within seconds of the Colonel leaving her bed, despite his shouting.

The next week was horrible for Becca as she was laid in her hospital bed or doing paperwork and organising the Aid Station from where she was sat, she even gave a lesson to the other Easy Company Medics from her bed. The night after it had happened she was told that the man who did it was being dishonourably discharged and sent back to the States, she smiled a little at that and she was ordered to get better soon, this was delivered by Nixon who was angry and visibly upset by the news.

" _Jeese Becca, can't let you outta my sight"_ he had said to her, shaking his head, she was worried he would say that but he considerably lightened the mood by giving a tale of the men's reactions, she was told Second Platoon were distraught at losing another officer but they had faith, they'd even sent Nixon with chocolate for her, she was surprised at the kindness. " _You'd be surprised how much they actually like you, yeah they don't want to admit that yeah you're good, but they do think it, especially now they know"_ he'd also told her, she smiled slightly, she'd been there for three weeks and they were already begrudgingly accepting her.

Despite her the rest of the week was all good news, Dick's Court Martial had been overturned and Sobel was transferred to Chilton Foliat, when Dick had told her she'd got out of her bed for the first time and put a hand on his shoulder in celebration, she couldn't have exactly hugged him in front of everybody, not that Dick would want her hugging him in the first place. But she very pleased with herself and the Company of the week ending Saturday 25th September 1943.


	4. A long while longer

"Hey babe, I could keep you safe, no dangerous men in my bed" said an American man to Becca as she was lent at the bar talking to Harry as Lewis and Dick were still working, the pub was teeming with American GIs. Becca laughed at him, his very direct approach was entirely foreign to her…literally, a British man would never be so bold.

"Really? Did you not see what happened to the guy, she'd eat you for breakfast, Buddy" said Harry laughing at the man that had tried to proposition her, Becca laughed and almost spat her pint out as she did so.

"Sorry mate" she said to him before turning her shoulder on him and back to Harry, the soldier grumbled and went back to his friends where she could see he was getting pulled apart.

"Jesus Christ, the fact that the man walked through town on the busiest Sunday of the month with more men coming in with a partially but permanently disfigured face would have given off a certain idea" said Harry shaking his head "where the hell did you learn to do that?" he asked her, curious of her training, he didn't know many men who could do that never mind her.

"Well they were pretty keen on the whole unarmed combat thing" she said to him "we were trained by the toughest men in the whole British Isles and the men around me were Scotsmen, they'd wipe the floor even with the likes of Randleman" she said to them "but I had to learn to be quick, so I did, gosh training was hard, we did cross country in the mountains and boxing matches, zip wires over lakes and assault courses carrying full equipment from pretty much day one" she said, Harry looked at her his eyes wide.

"Christ, bet you were glad to get back in your barracks at night" he said to her laughing which made Becca laugh even more.

"We didn't have them, we all slept in tents and we made our own food, we were hard as nails of which and we pretty much knew we were the best, we're the 506th's equivalent" she said.

"You didn't sleep in barracks? I thought it rained a lot here" said Harry, chugging his pint down.

"Like the brass cared" she laughed at him, they spent the night exchanging stories of training, she heard about their march to Atlanta, she boasted to Harry that No.2 could beat the 101st but later said she wasn't even sure England was that long. Harry and Becca had a whale of time laughing and joking, he even got her to dance despite the fact they were all tipsy. By the end of the night the both of them were drunk but managed to support each other back to the Officer's barracks, they had decided that for her own safety that Rebecca share with the other officer's to prevent another incident, the bed was a lot more uncomfortable than at her old billet but for the first time in days she slept that night, although it was more the alcohol than the environment.

 _The Next Day_

"Becca, Becca, Rebecca Philomena Kingsley, get out of bed" said Lewis standing over her, groaning she fell out of bed, her head splitting with pain as she got back to her feet.

"Philomena is not my middle name" she growled at Lewis as she put her hand to her forehead "Jesus how much did I drink last night?" she mumbled to herself, much to Lewis' amusement, laughing at her.

"What is your middle name?" he asked her, already fully dressed.

"None of your business, nosy git" she grumbled as she started to pull her uniform on for the day, they were spending the day on field craft, and Becca had been asked by their new CO to clean up their self-defense.

"Look what the cat dragged in…good to see you ma'am" said Malarkey as he saw Becca ambling up towards the field where Easy were assembling. Several of the boys clapped as she walked in making her blush slightly, but when she got there she gave them a curtesy.

"Ain't you a charmer Malark" she smiled at him as Lieutenant Meehan also arrived.

"Lieutenant Kingsley here is going to show you some basic self-defense, I think we can learn a lot from her, not many of you know but she was commando and championed boxer during her time in training" said Meehan.

"Yeah and she _permanently_ fucked up a guy's face" sniggered Luz to which Becca looked anywhere else but at the men.

"Right so, Sir, if you'd ever so kindly come demonstrate with me and you lot partner up, that would be useful" she said to them as they all shuffled Meehan very tactfully asked her if she was okay.

"You okay to do this Kingsley? I don't want your side getting more hurt, just be careful" he said to her, concerned for the welfare of one of his soldiers, much the opposite of their previous leader.

"I'll be careful" she said to him quietly.

"Put one arm on your opponent's shoulder and the other do the same on the other side, put your hand in the crook of their arm with your free hand, and crouch" she ordered them, doing the same with Lieutenant Meehan, she could see Dick smiling out of the corner of her eye, she knew he'd been a wrestler during his school career. "This is the basic grappling position and it's a neutral stance, to switch it over, slip your hand through and switch the roles of your arm, keep doing this until you have a rhythm" she said doing the same with Meehan, a very able leader and athletically gifted man, he grasped the concept easily and was glad to see the men did too. "Once you get into a position to do so, slip the foot with of the side of your outstretched arm through so their throat is in the crook of your other arm's elbow, like this… slip your foot around their opposite foot and push them backwards over it" she said to them, taking Meehan down "like this" she said as Meehan was laid out on the floor and she grinned above him "switch your stance and then when the moment takes, take your opponent down".

Meehan dismissed them around nine and it was hike back to the barracks for Easy Company, Dick and Becca walked together. The pair reflected on the day the conversation flowing between them, at the end of the walk Dick told Becca about his new billet.

"I met a couple a few weeks ago, the Barnes family, the ones I've been going to church with, they've got room for two officers, they requested me and said that they would provide another bed given they came on my recommendation, I asked if they'd be able to put a woman up…we'd have to share a room though…just if you wanted to" asked Dick, stumbling over his words.

"Yeah, I would, no offence to the American's but I don't think they know what a mattress looks like" she said to him in good humor, Dick smiled at her.

"That settles it then" he said and they both went back to the barracks so Rebecca could collect what little possessions she had. She had her uniforms and a purse, nothing else.

The pair walked silently down to the Barnes' house, although there was no awkward atmosphere between the two, whilst Dick wasn't looking at her, Becca took time to appreciate his good looks, she found him handsome to say the least and she was very fond of him as a friend. She shook her head, he was her platoon leader and she was his medic and this was war.

Dick knocked on the door twice which was hurriedly opened by Mrs. Barnes "Welcome dear" she smiled at Rebecca "hello Richard, you must be Rebecca, Richard has told us all about you and we look forward to having you here, come in, come in" said Mrs. Barnes brightly, her plump cheeks rosy from working all day as she fussed about the doorway, Dick and Becca shared a smile.

"Evening" said Mr Barnes shaking Dick's hand and clasping Rebecca's "welcome" he said to them before walking back into the family living room where he had just come from.

"Have you had a good day?" asked Mrs. Barnes as they both sat down at the table on her instruction.

"Yes, Rebecca here was imparting her wisdom upon the Company today, a few bits she's learned from around the world" said Dick before Rebecca could get a word in edgeways.

"That's good, have you travelled much then?" asked Mrs. Barnes innocently.

"No, only in service" said Rebecca, not much wanting to expand upon her answer, Mrs. Barnes luckily knew not to push the subject, her husband after all had been a veteran of the Great War.

"Are in the same unit as Richard then? He's ever such a talented boy isn't he" gushed Mrs. Barnes much to Dick's slight embarrassment and Rebecca's amusement.

"Yes actually, I am, I'm in his platoon, I'm one of his medics" replied Rebecca, smiling at Dick "he's an alright leader, I suppose" she jibed at him making him roll his eyes as they tucked into their food.

"Oh you must be the nurse that patched up little Violet, Mrs. Lamb, the one that does the laundry, is singing your praises and Violet adores you" said Mrs. Barnes.

"I am, a few more weeks and we'll have that pot off" replied Rebecca digging into her food, as Dick was also digging into his food.

"I'll leave you two youngsters to it, Emma is already in bed bless her so be careful as you go up the stairs" said Mrs. Barnes leaving the kitchen to join her husband in the living room.

The pair finished their meal quickly as they had not had much at dinner and were thankful for the hot food in their stomachs. They made their way quietly upstairs to the Barnes' spare bedroom where they found only one double bed. They both looked at it, frowning slightly.

"I'll take the floor" said Rebecca quickly.

"No, I will, you've been stabbed, it's hardly fair" countered Dick quickly, before being sternly looked at by Rebecca.

"I will take the floor, if it's too unbearable we'll have to share, but you're the platoon leader you need to be more rested than I do" said Becca to him, her arms folded and Dick sighed.

"I guess I've lost this argument already, good night Becca, sleep well and if that side starts even twinging you wake me up and we'll sort you out" he said before changing out of his clothes, pulling his uniform off, down to his underwear, his toned body did not surprise Becca but in the quick glimpse she caught of it before she pulled her eyes away and undressed and redressed herself quickly.

For the first two hours, she tossed and turned on the floor and looking up at Dick sleeping on the bed she debated what to do, she finally gave into herself and joined him in the bed, he briefly woke up only rolling over closer to her, within minutes she was asleep.

 _The next morning_

They awoke the next morning tangled within one another. Dick woke up first looking down at Becca whose head was underneath his, his body was flush against her back and his hand was wrapped around her waist, he wasn't sure how he'd ended up like this and was a deep shade of red whilst figuring out what to do, he could feel Becca starting to stir underneath him, but before he had moved she realized he was wrapped around her. They both untangled themselves quickly from one another and got dressed for the day, both refusing to look at one another.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Dick as he checked his uniform in the mirror of the bedroom.

"Yes, very well actually, yourself?" asked Becca looking pointedly down at her shoes and no place else, her hair loose was covering her face.

"Very well" replied Dick looking down at Becca who was crouched on the floor, he'd never seen her hair down before, and right now it looked a little unkempt but it's usual waves were still there. Becca stood and fixed her hair in the mirror, plaiting it as per usual then twisting it into a bun at the back of her head, no curls or rolls as was the fashion.

The rest of the day went slow as they were inside and it was raining until Becca was called into the Aid Station urgently because somebody had badly injured themselves after their parachute came down into a tree and the man had landed funny, extremely funny as he'd broken both bones in his lower left leg, cut down the sides of his face and his legs as the branches tore through his trousers and he'd dislocated his shoulder and his knee. The cuts on his legs were very deep and had caused him serious damage and Becca was working a long time to close the wounds, in the end she was quietly chuffed with her needle work on his leg and her correction of his dislocations, she found that his hip was also inflamed on his left leg and his ribs were bruised badly. She left him under supervision of one of the medics from his own company, she was glad the nurses were shipping in tomorrow.

"Evening boys" greeted Becca as she arrived at the pub later than usual to find the usual three already at a table, she saw that a woman was sat with them and all three were listening intently, the woman looked up at her as she spoke, with a disgusted face, because she'd been interrupted. The blonde woman was no older than Becca but far, far prettier by Becca's imagination, she was wearing a bright red lipstick and had long eyelashes which she batted in the direction of Winters, making Rebecca's stomach churn unpleasantly. The boys greeted her in return but the woman took no notice of Becca after that and continued her flirting with Dick. Becca pulled up a chair between them, sour faced and closed off. Lewis looked at her and smiled knowingly at her, only she didn't know what he knew, abruptly she interrupted the woman again declaring that her and Lewis were going to dance.

"Someone jealous?" asked Nixon as Becca was pulled tight to his chest and he talked in her ear.

"No, I just don't like the look of her" said Becca peeking over Lewis' shoulder at the blonde who had Dick and Harry enthralled in what seemed to be a nonsense tale.

"Sure thing...she's a little bit...err...blonde" said Nixon making the two of them laugh "yes I know she _is_ blonde but she's perfectly describing the stereotype and besides I don't think either of them are interested, Harry is too drunk to know what's going on and Dick, she's not his type" said Lewis to her.

"What about your type, she's awfully pretty?" said Becca glowering in the other woman's direction.

"Not as beautiful as you" said Nixon winking at her which made Becca roll her eyes and blush.

"Liar" she said to him before he spun and dipped her on the space cleared for dancing, careful not to bash into any other couple dancing. They both danced the night and stopped occasionally to get a drink at the bar before continuing, the pair of them laughing and joking all night, Rebecca was unaware of a pair of ice blue eyes that followed her all night.

Going back to the billet she joined arms with both Nixon and Winters giving Nixon a hug goodnight, being an affectionate tipsy before being escorted inside by Dick, he smiled at her hyper mood, despite it only been half past nine, the Barnes' had only one rule, that they had to be back before ten 'o' clock.

"Good night Dick" smiled Rebecca as she collapsed on the bed and started to get changed, where Dick got changed at the opposite side he could see Rebecca's reflection in the mirror as she sat with her back to him, he noticed the scarring on her back, thin scars littered the top of her back with a larger wound near her shoulder and the bottom of her back seemed to have burn scarring, something Dick was sure she hadn't wanted anybody to see, it would have been noticeable before as when she got changed for PT in the Officer's barracks, but as he came to realise she'd had her middle covered by a bandage because of her stab wound, something she refused to talk about. They slept once again peacefully that night, finding themselves intertwined again, only facing each other holding each other in an embrace, Becca's face buried in Dick's chest with his head laid on top of hers, her breathing tickling him. Dick and Becca both knew the rules and knew that they couldn't keep waking up entwined and perfectly comfortable, technically it was allowed as they were of the same rank, neither one of them wanted to say anything so the pattern continued each night after training, when they were on overnight exercise the two of them felt strange without the warmth of the other next to them.

The small things each would do would light up a bad day, even a little, Dick would make sure that Becca had a cup of tea if she was feeling rough and made sure she was alright if he saw her wincing slightly, Becca would make sure that Dick's uniform was repaired if he broke it before the next morning and if one was too tired to polish their boots the other would do both of them. Usually this was Dick as when Christmas was approaching and more soldiers had weekend passes they got into all sorts of fights and training was stepped up Becca would be working long, long hours at the Aid Station.

Christmas Day, 1944

"Merry Christmas" smiled Rebecca as she laid her head on his chest in the small hours of Christmas Day, neither wanting to leave the bed and parade in the snow.

"Merry Christmas, Becca" said Dick in reply as he shuffled out of bed, Becca followed suit and they put on their extra pair of socks and their scarves for the exercise. Becca looked as though she remembered something quickly.

"I almost forgot and I don't why as it is Christmas but I did get you something just a little something from when I was last in London" rambled Becca as she fumbled under the bed for the present she had bought Dick. She presented him with a small box wrapped in brown paper and written on in handwriting pen.

"Thank you" said Dick as he took the box from her and tore the paper gently off the box and peered inside at the slightly unconventional present.

"It's the same knife I trained with, I got a different one but that one was my favourite and I know your one is getting slightly worn on the handles" she rambled again to him as Dick smiled at her.

"This is great, thanks Becca" said Dick, a slight smile crossing his face "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything" he added, his eyes drooping.

"No, no, don't worry, I was going to give you it anyways, just Christmas was coming up and I thought why not, I was in London and I saw Major Charlton, he had found when he went back to Achnacarry" she explained to him. She quickly left the building alongside Dick "we best be off, Mrs Barnes, merry Christmas to you all, I'm afraid this is going to be a long day at the aid station, please pass my wishes onto Emma and Mr Barnes, thank you" waved Rebecca and Dick as they made their way over to the base.

"Soldier, when I told you that you needed to come back to have your bandages changed I bloody well meant it, I am far too busy to be chasing after thick skulled boys like you" snapped Rebecca angrily at the young soldier from D Company in front of her "when you get back to your unit I would much like to speak with your CO" she said again frustrated as she cleaned the infected wound of the soldier, by the looks of it she would have to give him a course of penicillin, something she did not have much of since production was still in its early stages.

In the fields of Aldbourne

"New knife Dick?" asked Lewis as they both sat on the ground along with the other Officers.

"Yeah, a present actually" said Dick flipping it over in his hands repeatedly.

"Really? Who gave you it?" asked Nixon, curious who would have gifted somebody a knife on Christmas Day.

"Becca actually, she got it from her old Major when she was with the British a few weeks ago, said she wanted to give it to me, she trained with it in Achnacarry I think it was" said Dick still looking at his present, Nixon only nodded in response at the gift, having more questions now than he did before.

"Did you get her anything?" asked Nixon after a while, looking once again at his friend.

"Yeah, slightly ridiculous though compared to this" said Dick shaking his head "I said I was sorry I didn't get her anything, I wasn't about to give her a set of three pens" he added much to Nixon's amusement.

"I can see why" he said smiling at his friend "but seriously though you do need to try" he said to Dick, his tone changing, Dick nodded his head and sat in silence for a few moments.

"What in the name of all good things do you buy a girl, who isn't _your_ girl, as a present?" asked Dick "Lew help me out here" he said exasperated.

Upottery Airfield, May 31st 1944

The past few days had been non stop for the men and women of the 101st, they'd been shipped to an Airfield and out of the marshalling area, they were not allowed to leave and no weekend passes were issued, they had the MPs on full alert at all times, they had strict curfews placed amongst them and to Rebecca, well, she could almost smell the testosterone. They'd gained a new officer, the dashing Lieutenant Compton who was assistant platoon leader to 2nd Platoon. It was the first time in a week that Rebecca had finally had time to catch her breath.

Over the past few days Rebecca had been eternally grateful for Winters' present to her from Christmas, he'd managed to find her some knee pads after complaining about her knees on the hard floor of the Aid Station at least seventy percent of the day. She hadn't seen much of anybody she knew, there was the other medics and of course Pepping, Roe and Spina from Easy Company who she was glad to see but of Welshie, Nixon and Winters she had seen almost nothing. She was often on parade with the men but she wasn't able to talk to them and she'd been put in an all female barracks. She however was happy that the wound on her side had scarred rather minutely compared to what she expected, though she didn't think it would matter much with the state of the rest of her.

 _5th June 1944_

"Becca...Becca" called Dick as Becca was walking to collect the rest of her supplies from the Aid Station.

"Dick, anything the matter?" she asked him, a slight frown coming across her face as she quickly surveyed him.

"No, no, I...I just wanted to see you before we jumped that's all" he said to her hesitantly "make sure you're okay".

"I'm fine, it'll be, as you call it, my fourth combat star" said Rebecca "Are you okay...your first jump and everything?" asked Rebecca, a comforting hand on his arm as she looked at him, her green eyes smiling.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine" said Dick looking at her in the eyes, his blue ones gazing at her.

"Just remember...as soon as you land hit the dirt as fast as you can, find somebody then get your bearings" she said to him, breathing deeply.

"Yeah, yeah I will" he said to her "Stay safe Becca...I hope I see you around a long while longer yet" he said to her and Rebecca swore she saw his eyes glint.

"The same goes for you" she said holding her hand out for him to shake, their hands grasping a little longer than they should, his thumb brushing the back of her hand softly although his hands were dry and calloused. Rebecca's eyes too were glinting more than usual, she didn't want to believe it was the last time she was going to see him or any of them, she refused to believe it but the voice in her mind spoke to her ' _the more you care the more you lose'_.

 _Ten minutes later…_

"2nd platoon listen up, good luck, God bless, I'll see you in the assembly area" said Dick to his men who were sat before him, looking at them with proud eyes.


	5. Neptune

_Operation Neptune, airborne section of Overlord_

"Let's go, let's go" shouted Dick over the roaring engines and the explosions happening around them. Fear and nerves gripped Rebecca, she would be glad indeed when she hit the ground. She watched Dick jump, then Roe and then she jumped. Her heart was in her mouth as she leapt from the plane, her leg bag ripped off immediately, glad she'd been suspicious in the first place and not placed her most valued possessions in it. She couldn't distinguish one man from another but where she was heading she could see only a few men going the same way, two possible outcomes presented immediately land in the water or land in the trees, her mind raced and she tried to steer her parachute to where the two met, to no avail, by some miracle she believed she had not

She was trapped in a tree, her entire uniform ripping as she sat there, pulling her knife from her boot she slashed at the cords suspending her until she crashed to the floor. Everything she was wearing was ripped to shreds, she sighed and grabbed her map, torch and raincoat to get her bearings. Becca started to walk in the direction of her assembly area. The walking was tiring she had to admit and it was two in the morning at the very best. She wondered as she walked along hedges and railroads who had made it and who hadn't. She knew she only had four hours to get to her assembly area and she was making good

The walking seemed non stop until she met the farmhouse located near her assembly area, the sun was in full French summer form, but distinctive voices caught her attention as she made her way through the farmhouse. "Jesus, the hell is that, they've had a rough night?" said Joe Toye looking on at an approaching

"Good to see you too Corporal Toye" she smiled at him, before kneeling down next to a felled medic and stealing his supplies and shoving them in every pocket she could find on her

"Lieutenant, you do realise that your uniform is ripped to shreds" said Lipton who was crouched next to another body looting his ammunition and weapons. "And your head and nose has been bleeding" he added to her before looking back down.

"No Lip I hadn't noticed thanks" she said to him sarcastically "you're the first ones I've bumped into" she said before standing up again. "Everyone here okay, no injuries?" she addressed the group.

"No, I think we're all good ma'am" said Toye looking at her with a confused frown, she looked pretty beat in his opinion, not that he'd ever tell her, he wondered what she'd been doing.

"That's good then" she smiled at them before nicking somebody else's jacket, a little large for her but far more useful than what she was wearing, she'd have to scrounge a shirt at the assembly area where she could, and a pair of trousers.

"Who the hell is this girl?" whispered one of the the guys not from Easy, the 82nd Airborne by the looks of their jacket, the other shrugged in response.

"I dunno, but she's British" the other replied before Malarkey cut in.

"Lieutenant Kingsley, she's our nurse, good gal" said Malarkey, his voice matter of fact before wiping his face from the sweat collecting on it before the whole group moved out, the enlisted men taking the front, Becca and Dick taking the rear.

"You made it then" said Becca to Dick, he smiled to her tilting his head towards her.

"Yeah, I did, I said I was going to be seeing a long while longer yet" he said to her to which she smiled at, happy that he was unharmed "good to see you Becca".

"Good to see you too, how far are we off our assembly area?" asked Becca to Dick who was walking alongside her at a reasonable pace.

"About an hour, we follow this main path and we'll find the assembly area, I don't doubt that at least somebody hit the DZ and we won't be the first there" he replied "How is your uniform so ruined?" he added looking up and down.

"Well I landed in a tree, then when I cut myself free I plummeted to the ground on the edge of a lake, I lost my leg bag and have been traversing the land ever since, hard when you're the only one" she said to him before putting a hand to her head and feeling the edge of her hair line, still sticky with some wet blood but scratching off the dried blood from her face the best she could, before cautiously putting a hand to her nose, wincing as she did so. "Goddamnit I've broken my nose" she said under her breath, the area tingling and feeling swollen when she touched it and the blood that had dried.

"I could have told you that" replied Dick, causing a mock glare from Becca who poured water over a cloth she had handy in her pocket, one of the untouched parts of her trousers.

Becca wiped the blood away carefully, trying to make herself look like less of a train wreck, even going as far as to fix her hair as she plaited her hair into two braids whilst on the move.

"Why on earth are you fixing your hair?" asked Dick, a frown on his face as he observed Becca, unlike the other men she was not as tense, even to the point of fixing her hair.

"Because I look like a tram smash right now" she smiled at him sweetly before pouring water over her hands to clean them too, Dick only nodded at her and checked his watch before checking on the men, Becca stayed at the rear, she was deemed useless until somebody got shot.

Walking into the assembly area they could see already many many soldiers had already made it, the size of second battalion from what Becca could tell, even though deceiving as most of the men were all huddled together wearing the same uniform, she wasn't stupid, she knew some people wouldn't have made it. She looked around at the men already there, she could see Liebgott, Buck and she'd arrived with Malarkey, Popeye, Guarnere, Toye, Lipton and Dick, she saw that Hall was also stood with them as the men went on but missing the red headed Private Malarkey, he was talking to a prisoner, or more taunting a prisoner.

"Where you from son?" he asked him, a grinning smile on his face as he poked at them, laughing as he walked on by.

"Eugene, Oregon" replied the man, the prisoner looked up to Malarkey, as Malarkey's face dropped with confusion.

"Eugene, you gotta be kidding me! Popeye, you hear this? I am from Astoria" said Malarkey enthusiastically walking back up to the prisoner and sitting next to him.

"You don't say" said the man sarcastically looking up at Malarkey.

"Yeah, Orange Street, what gives, what are you doing in a Kraut uniform?" asked Malarkey as Becca reached his side.

"Volksdeutsche?" asked Rebecca joining the conversation, the prisoner looking up at her, nodding his head.

"Volksdeutsche" he replied, confirming her suspicions, she smiled sadly at him as he sat there, defeated.

"Sorry ma'am didn't see you there" said Malarkey, looking down at his feet in embarrassment.

"No, it's alright Malarkey" she confirmed a small smile coming across her face as she stood there.

"My family answered the call, all true Aryans should return to the fatherland, joined up in '41" he said to Malarkey as Becca left the conversation. She looked back on Malarkey and smiled, they'd all been so eager to kill and fight in England and now she could hear Malarkey and the prisoner laughing over something or other, a man Malarkey could have killed on the battlefield suddenly became a little piece of home.

"Good to see you, Becca" said Buck as she came up to the group of them, Winters and Buck talking between themselves.

"It's good to see you too Buck" she said before Buck quickly turned back to Dick, Becca listening in on the conversation.

"What's going on?" asked Buck, a concerned expression covering his face, the same question Becca had been asking herself, it was wholly unorganized and nobody seemed to be doing anything.

"What's the hold up?" asked Dick, avoiding Buck's question, even he didn't know.

"Not sure, five'll get you ten, something to do with that" replied Buck as a large gun fired in the background, Becca couldn't even have guessed at it but to her it didn't seem like an 88.

"Yeah…" replied Dick, looking around the assembly area once more.

"Good to see you Dick" said Buck honestly, they weren't always seeing eye to eye but each knew the other was competent officer and their heads and hearts were in the right place.

"You too Buck, what's the situation?" asked Dick, a small frown coming across his forehead, looking around.

"Not good, ninety percent of the men are still unaccounted for" said Buck.

"Jeese that's a lot less than I thought, we only have fourteen men" said Becca, her eyes worried as she once again looked over the men, Dick nodded at her in agreement.

"Lieutenant Meehan?" asked Dick, it was true Becca hadn't seen their CO around nor any men in his stick.

"Nobody has seen him, or anybody in his plane, you know if he is missing, doesn't that put you first in line to take over Easy?" asked Buck, Becca allowed herself a small smile, ever since they landed in England, the men had wanted Dick in charge, she could tell, Dick only nodded before catching Speirs.

"Hey, Lieutenant Speirs, how many of dog have you got assembled?" asked Dick.

"A handful, maybe twenty" replied Speirs shortly, not a man of many words and when he did speak, he didn't mince them.

"You're the only officer that made it?" asked Dick, his mouth pulling into a worried line as did Becca's, she was starting to feel as if the Airborne had been almost halved in one jump, biggest ever invasion of France and

"So far...still waiting for orders, you got any cigarettes?" he asked them out of the blue, Becca frowning, she was sure he'd have his own to expend.

"Yeah" said Buck offering him one, the whole packet in his hands, a big mistake as Speirs made off with the pack before Buck could stop him "Keep the pack" shouted Buck after him, grumbling about the loss of his lucky strikes.

"Here have mine I don't smoke" said Becca tossing him a pack from her rucksack, she was going to save them for when she would need to bribe somebody to help her.

"Thanks Becca, jump go okay?" asked Buck, his tone light to say that only a few hours ago he'd jumped out of a plane behind enemy lines with the majority of his company had been killed or were MIA.

"Landed in a tree, broke my nose, all good...if you boys don't need me I'll be at the Aid Station" she said to them both, the two of them nodding her a goodbye as she made her way over to where she could see walking wounded moving in and out of the barn.

"She looks like she's been dragged through hell" said Buck quietly turning back to Dick as Becca walked away.

"She was worse when she found us, she's cleaned up a bit since then, her jacket was torn to shreds, blood all over her face, hair was full of tree" said Dick shaking his head.

"At least she's alive...half the men expected her to be a goner" replied Buck, Dick only nodded in reply.

The aid station was full and was busy, the medics were running around the patients administering and dismissing, they were thankful they didn't lack supplies. Becca moved to clean her hands before she set to work, only minor cuts and scrapes with other having large wounds from falling, the jump or being hit. Each man had the same procedures almost, she was thankful and was glad she had Doc Kemp from Battalion on hand.

"Nurse Kingsley!" called Kemp from where he was standing over a soldier, she dropped the board she was checking and made her way over quickly, on the other side of the soldier's bed, she could tell the man needed stitches and the Doc was far too busy than to attend to his wounds, when Becca was on hand, it would not be long until the Nurses and VAD got into France. Becca attended to his wounds carefully, her stitches were small and neat, she was pleased with her work.

"All done Sergeant, you'll be on your feet in no time" she smiled to him before standing up.

"Kingsley...Kingsley, Easy is taking some guns out at Brecourt Manor" called a runner as she cleaned out another man's wounds and started to stitch.

"Lieutenant Winters?" she asked and the runner nodded "You go quickly and tell him they're not 88s they're 105s and they are big buggers, he's gonna need a lot of firepower" she said and the man was on his feet, she'd heard that the men in the aid station thought that the guns were 88s, as much as she was non combatant, she'd seen them in Africa and they'd almost obliterated the base.

Becca was struggling to stay on her feet, the majority of men had simple wounds to treat, she'd been treating them for five years, she was lacking in motivation to keep going, it had been half an hour since Easy set out and she was glad to not see anybody in her Aid Station. She thought too soon as Popeye was supported in by two men she did not recognise, leaving her current patient in the care of a man called Phillips.

"Popeye! Popeye!" she called to him as she half walked and half jogged over to him taking over one side that a trooper was supporting him with, taking his arm and slinging it over her shoulders. "Where you been hit?" she asked him as the approached the bed.

"My ass, ma'am" he replied, his voice crying with embarrassment.

"You're ass? Okay we'll lay you down flat" she said as she and the man at the other side positioned him right "Thank you laddie" she said then the trooper left. Becca quickly got to work ripping his trousers a little more before fishing out the bullet in his behind.

"You were right ma'am, they were 105s" said Popeye wincing as Becca prodded around.

"Yeah, big buggers they are, aha got the bastard thing" smiled Rebecca pulling out the bullet much to Popeye's discomfort, she pulled it out before stemming the blood flow and bandaging him up "well Popeye you're gonna have to get evacuated, I'm sorry" said Rebecca, just stay there and they'll get you outta here. Popeye grumbled under his breath but Becca could not hear him.

"Becca...Becca" called Dick as he entered the Aid Station "Becca, Hester wants to see you" he said to her, she nodded and rinsed her hands and put her jacket back on, glad to have found some more uniform when she'd arrived at the Aid Station. "I see you got cleaned up" said Dick looking her over.

"I had a few minutes earlier, heard you took out those guns at Brecourt" she said to him, looking up at him, she could tell something was bugging him.

"Yeah, thank you by the way, your runner found me" said Dick, smiling briefly.

"Popeye said, what's up Dick?" she asked him, almost reaching the CP.

"I lost a man today, Hall" he said quietly as they went through the door of the farm.

"Captain Hester, sir" saluted Rebecca as she entered, Hester smiled at her, his hand out for her to shake which she shook hesitantly.

"I don't think we've properly met yet, anyway, I've heard from Doc Kemp that he would find it most agreeable to have you on the Battalion staff" said Hester as Dick was caught by Sink and was talking to him.

"Sir?" she asked him, holding her helmet under her arm.

"Not immediately of course, a few weeks, it'll have to go through Sink of course, keeps you off the front lines as it were" said Hester, his face hopeful that she'd accept.

"I'll think about it Sir" she said to him, her voice hesitant.

"That's good then" smiled Hester, though less enthusiastically than last time, "that's all Kingsley" he said to her and she left the room, her head spinning. Becca sat down in an arch way and laid out her blanket and opened a can of rations.

She sat and reflected upon D-Day, with heavy lids, though unable to sleep she rested herself until the morning broke and they'd be on the move again.


	6. Just Like Everybody Else

**Carentan, June 1944, D-Day + 6**

"Becca, I want you still with second platoon, I want you as my assistant platoon leader" said Buck as he sat with Dick, Harry and Becca.

"Shouldn't that be a combative role? And besides I might not be here long, Hester and Kemp offered me a spot with battalion, but it didn't sound like much of an offer" said Becca as she stretched out her legs looking upwards.

"Why didn't you say anything to me?" asked Dick looking at her, unnoticed by Becca who had her eyes closed.

"The offer wasn't made to you" she replied before thinking, her voice sounding snappier than she meant.

"As your company commander, the next time they make you an offer you tell me" said Dick harshly causing Becca to look at him and roll her eyes but fortunately held her tongue before refusing to look in his direction.

"Anyway...if you're not going to take that offer then the doors open to you, you've more combat experience than anyone in the 101st so it's all good" said Buck butting in again, even though he had started the conversation.

"Thanks Buck, but I'm not a combatant, if you need me I'll still be in you platoon, if I may make a suggestion I say ask Jones, he's a good man" smiled Becca as she looked at her watch as Dick did, putting her webbing back on.

"2200 hours, we best get moving, it'll be dark soon" said Dick for Buck, Welshie and Shames to start calling their platoons.

"Let's go first platoon, let's move" shouted Harry "Easy is moving out" he added for the entirety of the company to know, the officers could hear the men all start to collectively grumble.

"Second platoon follow on behind first platoon" shouted Buck as they all made their way to the edge of the town and the assembly point where Easy and Fox were setting off from. Each platoon leader was briefing their platoon.

"Third, go after second" shouted Shames to his platoon, he'd only received his battlefield commission on Overlord and had transferred to the 101st's second battalion to take over Easy's third platoon, he was trying to make a good impression on the men, he had been a Toccoa man though with Item Company in the 3rd Battalion.

"So, light and noise discipline, no talking, smoking, singing you know the drill" said Becca as second platoon formed up around Buck and Becca, checking the watch on her wrist and scratching a bit of dried mud off her sleeve, despite mud being splattered all over her jacket.

"Where are we going?" asked Guarnere in his usual gruff tone aimed at either officer.

"We're taking Carentan, the whole division is going" said Buck as the Company started to walk.

"We need to link up Omaha and Utah beach in one continuous beach head, only problem is we can only do it at Carentan which we don't have" added Becca, the men nodded and started to walk across the burning fields of France, stopping once twice and a third time.

"Goddamnit what now?" hissed Buck under his breath next to Jones and Becca, Jones shook his head at the men in front of him.

"I bet we've lost Fox again" huffed Jones and Becca rolled her eyes dramatically.

"What a bunch o' numpties" commented Becca, small smiles emerging from both Jones and Buck as she said it.

"Sometimes I forget you're British, other times it smacks me in the face" chuckled Jones as Buck agreed with him.

"What we gonna do now bossman?" asked Becca looking to Buck for answers who was looking around him and at his watch.

"Bossman? We'll keep the men moving until we get word from Dick, looks like we found em' again anyways" said Buck and they continued to walk across the landscape of France.

It was daybreak when they finally reached Carentan, on D-Day plus six, and Winters had organised the platoons on where he wanted them. Buck had come back and announced the plan to the boys. "First are gonna go straight up the middle, us and third are gonna follow up behind, move" said Buck "Becca, keep you're ass here til somebody shouts medic" he added as he started to crawl away, Becca frowned but found it no time for an argument. Watching the battle she became frustrated with the men at times.

"What are you doing? You're sitting ducks, move for Christ's sake, move!" she said to herself in a quiet but frustrated tone, she noticed that Dick had also noticed and he was moving everybody along "thank god" said Becca as she exhaled a large breath as she hadn't realised she'd been holding it.

"Medic" called a man hit by artillery fire, stranded alone next to a building, he kept calling, she saw one of the other medics give up on him, she had crawled forward but never reaching them before somebody else got there.

"Not on my watch" she hissed and started to crawl through the hedgerow, her small physique allowing her to wriggle her way closer. Peering round she could see a potential blind spot on the snipers' vision, potential she decided was the best that she could do, and started to run to the nearest building peering around the coast was clear and she had three seconds before the sniper lined her up, the man sitting next to rubble and partially standing building couldn't have positioned him better. She ran like crazy rolling down next to him she quickly squatted and dragged him into the cover of the building, her heart was racing and unknown to her she was being watched by a certain intelligence officer. "This is going to hurt trooper and I'm sorry" she said quickly as she ripped open the sulphur and started treating the three bullet holes in his chest and side, bandaging quickly she took a look at his legs, one had been blown off cleanly and the other was hanging on. Becca set about securing the leg as best she could, ripping the man's trousers for extra support. She looked up and shells started going off in a row and they were heading straight for her, as best she could she covered the man's body, lucky only a few bits of rubble hitting her back, painfully but not life threateningly. Looking around once again she pulled herself out of the rubble and slung the man around her shoulder, his arms on her back and leg in front, he was passing out from the morphine she'd injected and she ran with him, groaning in pain she finally made it with him to a safe area of the town. Her face was once again cut up and she was sore in her back but another call for medic caught her attention.

"Becca!" called Jones as he watched her run back out, she looked back slightly before carrying on running to her next patient, once she got there however she was being shot at heavily, stemming the bleeding was the easy part, she knew she wasn't getting out of there alive just yet, looking around at the building she was partially in she could see a wall running directly through. Shaking her head she started to drag the patient through the building so he was protected by the wall, she however was still standing and someone was making quick work of the window and shattered glass was hitting part of her face and getting at her hands, thankful for the material of her jacket and trousers. She moved him quickly before standing behind a pillar and before the next window she knew the man was aiming at. She quickly dragged him through once again having the window smashed at her. She did this until she got the man to safety with the other, right where Malarkey and Muck were standing.

"Hey Malark you seen this?" asked Muck as he looked at Father Mahoney blessing dead patients on the battlefield.

"Yeah...crazy fools the Irish" replied Malark before picking his next position to fire from.

"You should know" replied Muck before they caught sight once again of Becca running for another man "not as crazy as the Scottish" he added whilst looking at Becca.

"Come on give her some covering fire" said Malarkey firing where he knew a sniper to be and where they were shooting at Becca, they stayed there and after she finished and in a speedy time she thanked them as more bullets rained at her feet from a different location. She smiled, her third man safe, although many more to go.

Finally the shooting died down and the Germans were driven out of Carentan, Becca was in the Aid Station helping everybody clean up, in particular she was attending to Tipper who had an anxious Liebgott at his side holding onto his hand as his friend was in shock and no medic had treated him immediately. She was aided by another medic who she became to like in the pace of the fifteen minutes she was with Tipper, he was reliable and competent much like Doc Roe. Brushing the hair out of Tipper's eyes she looked to Liebgott "Joe, I've got other people to see, can you wipe the blood best you can off his face and neck, without touching the stitches I've put in, don't worry you won't hurt him" she said smiling kindly at Liebgott who only nodded at her, she'd never seen the loud mouthed boy from California be so quiet, in the space of nearly a week she'd seen the men mature more than she had seen in a quarter of a year. Moving swiftly on she was cleaning wounds and stitching when Dick walked in, or rather limped, she shook her head as Doc Roe sat him down on a bench.

"You're lucky it was only a ricochet, you just caught a piece of it" said Doc Roe as he teased out part of the bullet in his CO's leg.

"Stupid" she heard Dick mutter, shaking her head she went to check on Blithe in the foyer of the building.

"Hey Blithe" she said to him, her voice comforting, shining a small torch in his eye she saw his pupils had no reaction, _oh dear,_ "Blithe, you're going to be okay, I promise" she smiled to him putting a hand on his shoulder and walking back to where Dick was sitting with Buck and Roe.

"What have we got planned Chief?" asked Buck his arms folded looking at Dick's small wound, joined by Becca at his side whose presence did not go acknowledged immediately.

"We'll expect a counter attack, this town is as important to them as it is to us" said Dick wincing slightly when he moved his leg.

"Any ideas when?" asked Buck.

"We're not hanging about to find out, Battalion are sending us eastward towards high ground…"

"To set up a defensive position" cut in Becca thinking hard and frowning as she folded on arm across her and her elbow resting on her hand and was grasping at her chin.

"Yeah that's right" said Dick nodding "with all the flooding fields that's where they'll be coming from" he added to Buck.

"Yeah, you going to be okay?" asked Buck looking at Dick's leg.

"I'll be okay" said Dick "what's wrong with Blithe?" asked Dick looking at his two medics.

"Lieutenant says it's hysterical blindness, she's seen it before" said Roe nodding at Becca who smiled a tight smile.

"It will pass in time, maybe a few days, weeks even or the next few minutes, something went wrong in his brain and his eyes shut it off" said Becca "a gentle hand, Dick" she warned him "be kind" she added more nicely and took the hand she didn't realise she placed on his arm off and Dick nodded taking no offence in her words, she knew him and she was doing her job. Becca watched as Dick talked to Blithe and by some miracle he started to see again. Dick smiled brightly at him, Becca smiled at Dick's actions taking a small break as the Aid Station quieted down.

"Doc, let Becca do that, I need a word with her anyways" said Dick as Roe wanted to bandage him up, Becca started to get nervous as she wondered what Dick was going to say to her. "Kingsley" he said to her as he didn't want to put her in a foul mood, the look she gave him changed his approach "Becca, I, um, I saw what you did today" he said to her awkwardly.

"If you're going to tell me off like a naughty child, I'm not apologising for doing my job" she said bluntly as she tightened her bandage.

"Um, that's not what I was going to say" he said quickly, Becca looked up at him, her green eyes questioning.

"Oh" Becca replied, embarrassed that she'd snapped so easily.

"Um, yeah, you were very brave...Pete that sounded lame, buy y'know" said Dick chuckling which Becca joined in with.

"Thank you, but I…" said Becca before being cut off by Dick.

"Just doing your job I know, but Becca give yourself some credit, you tell the others to stay out of danger medica wise but you run headlong into it" said Dick, though not unkindly, his mouth quirking up in a half smile, Becca smiled shyly before looking at her feet.

"Well you got them moving, I saw you waving like a maniac to get them moving, I was hidden in a hedgerow" said Becca as she helped him to his feet and walking towards the men.

"You going to take that position at Battalion, then?" asked Dick looking down at her.

"No, no, I'm not, I think today showed you why, I think, I can't sit behind a desk and do nothing, it's not me" she smiled at him before looking back up at him and saw he was already smiling down at her. Sitting down together they had a few moments alone.

"You missing home?" asked Becca looking at him "sorry, that was insensitive" she said to herself looking down at her feet.

"How do you do it Becca?" he asked her, she looked up at him from checking her trousers, a confused frown on her face, "you've been training since what? 1939? Surrounded by the toughest and manliest of the allied forces and you still keep you" clarified Dick.

"I don't know, ever since I was a girl it was instilled in me to be forgiving, to give more and more and to never stop, to put everybody else before myself, and war, it can make a person all hard and bitter, but once they do that, what's left? We might be winning strategically but if they change who we are then who is really winning?" asked Becca rhetorically, Dick leant back in amazement at the profoundness of her words but she changed her tune quickly and smiled brightly at him again, there was a pause before he spoke.

"I miss home, we all do, complaining however is not going to get me home" he said to her "you never speak about home, why not? I don't know anything about your family" he asked her before she remained silent on him.

"I have a sister, a brother, a mother and a father, like everybody else" she said to him, a small smile on her face, Dick didn't push the issue, he realised now that home was a sticky wicket.

"Well tell us something about you then" said Dick in a friendly manner, one he hadn't used since they arrived in France.

"Um, there isn't much to me if I'm honest, I um like soup...you're putting me on the spot, I don't know" said Becca laughing slightly.

"I feel as if I really know you now, I mean a girl who likes soup, I can see into her soul" laughed Dick at her.

"Shut up" said Becca playfully as they both laughed, "well what about you?" she asked once her laughs had subsided.

"I started out as a private, my Sergeant put me up for OCS when I realised that I was smart and I could do better than the Lieutenant standing there, he gave a talk on a gun, which was a different gun to what he was holding" said Dick his face exasperated even by the memory.

"Oh dear" laughed Becca and they both chuckled again, smiling at each other, Becca ignored the little voice in her head when she saw Dick smile at her. _The more you care, the more you lose._


	7. Miss Atkins

Easy Company marched out of Carentan and into the woods surrounding the area, it wasn't planned but it happened. "Contact right!" shouted Rebecca along with Harry as she threw herself to the floor and dragged the person next to her down with her, as she landed she called out in agony before crawling as fast as she could into the trees for cover. The men were all crawling into the trees at an alarming rate, bullets missing their marks all around them. Rebecca continued crawling until she was deep into the trees, she stood up to see that Dick had crawled alongside her.

"You okay?" asked Dick as they both brushed themselves off lightly, Rebecca nodded at him waving him off "you looked to be in pain that's all" he added eyeing her suspiciously but was once again waved off.

"I'm fine, go" she said to him and he nodded to her before taking off to where many of the men had concentrated, Becca once again called out as she hit her hip on a tree, it was a sharp intake of breath and a hissing sound omitting from her, her face contorted with pain before in an instant she wiped her face of any trace of pain and walked through the pain shooting in her leg and in her back as she moved her shoulder too far, the fabric of her shirt painfully tight and scratchy when she bent.

She reached the men a few minutes after Dick, doing a quick scan she could see that none of second platoon were injured or for that matter missing. Satisfied she took to finding out where the officers of the company had gotten to. Finally finding them she set to work digging her foxhole but two digs in she was interrupted by her CO.

"Becca, I want you to find Doc Roe and see what you've still got between you" said Dick in a kind voice but also an order so that she dropped her tool and set off back in the direction she came from. Lewis stood next to Dick, both of their faces looking worriedly where Becca had just disappeared. "What do you think is up with her? She hasn't said anything" asked Dick setting back to work digging.

"In the town, she was getting to this one guy who was stranded by himself, she was rolling along the floor and going over rubble to get to him, she got some cover then the building came down on her, light debris but you wouldn't want any of it coming down on you…adrenaline has worn off and I'm guessing she's starting to feel it" explained Lewis still looking in the same direction.

"Really? I guess that would do it" said Dick looking up at Lew, his face frowning, he didn't know if he should be impressed or concerned "she dragged me down when we just got hit but she screamed out when she hit the ground" added Dick.

"Man, she's probably bruised to shit under that uniform, but she's not complained once that I can remember of an injury, hell she got stabbed and apologised" replied Lewis shaking his head, a lopsided smile on his face before he sobered again "she's a nurse Dick, she'll figure it out" he assured patting his friend's shoulder then leaving him to make a report.

"Hey, Roe, Roe" said Becca catching the medic's arm, he looked alarmed at the sudden contact before Becca blushed and realised she was supposed to address his differently, according to her rank "Roe, Lieutenant Winters sent me to check up on your supplies" she said to him looking at his medical kit expectantly.

"He only just checked it though?" replied a confused Roe, Becca frowned at him before looking over her shoulder and looking back to Roe, her arms folded.

"Very well" she said tightly before spinning on her heel, a confused expression on her face, frequently wincing as she walked.

"Dick" addressed Becca as she found them "Roe told me you'd only just checked the supplies" she said a frown on her face, accidently her tone was harsher than she expected.

"Of course, I forgot" replied Dick shrugging off her comment, he continued digging and Becca could see that his hole was considerably larger than Harry's and Buck's hole.

"Are you building a living room in there?" she asked, one brow quirked up and her arms folded.

"If I am you can grab a shovel and help" he said retorting, a smirk upon his face, Becca leant down to grab her tool but was stopped quickly "No" said Dick hastily before correcting himself "I mean…it's alright, I've almost finished, we'll share, needs to be enough room for the two of us eh?" he asked her composing himself, his eyes although telling a different story.

"I suppose you're right" she said her face mirroring his peculiar look "thank you" she added and Dick gave her an unnecessary hand down into the hole alongside him. Dick continued eyeing Rebecca for a while, her face purposely avoiding his gaze, even scratching the dirt off of her sleeve intensely. She looked up after a while and could still see that he was looking at her, she met his gaze.

"You okay? Becca?" asked Dick looking at her, his concerned face on, the one he used when he looked at one of the men who he was worried about, Becca looked at him questioningly although a blush rising to her cheeks.

"I'm all good, sore that's all" she said brushing him off again before shifting her back against the dirt carefully again.

"If you're sure?" he said, although it was more of a question, he desperately wanted to tell her that she could tell him now the men weren't about, that he wouldn't think any less of her.

"I'm sure" she said again twiddling her thumbs.

"Well if you decide that you do need to see somebody make sure you do" said Dick looking at her "I mean it Becca, none of us would think any less of you" he said to her, a hand lightly squeezing her hand before it was quickly retracted.

"Of course" smiled Becca, her internal monologue however racing, ' _he says that now, they all will'_ she thought bitterly before looking back over at Dick, ' _maybe I'm too harsh on him, I've never met a man like him'_ she countered her own thoughts.

"I heard that you were doing some commando moves out there today" said Dick looking at her again as she smiled sheepishly at him but he didn't look like he was kidding "yeah, next time maybe think of yourself" he added and her face changed instantly.

"I literally do not know how to put it anymore" she said throwing her arms up, her tone exasperated "if I said to you that there were some Germans you had the skill to take out but you weren't allowed because you might get hurt what would you say?" asked Becca leaning forward towards him.

"That it was wrong" he said instantly, Becca raised her eyebrows at him and drew her lips into a thin line as if to say 'exactly' "I understand that…I don't mean to question your job or your competency but Becca…I don't know how to say this…erm…as your company commander I don't want to see anyone of my soldiers hurt" he explained to her, his thinking face on. Becca only nodded at him, a sinking feeling in her chest she couldn't explain, it was those words again ' _your company commander_ '.

As the day turned to night the men were ordered to their foxholes and were assigned watch duty. Welshie, Nix and Jones had all offered to take the night leaving Dick and Becca to get a chance at sleep.

"MEDIC!" shouted somebody and Becca was on her feet in an instant, once again the adrenaline running through her veins letting her push past the pain but was informed on the way that somebody was already on it as they passed her to inform Dick of what happened.

"No leave it with Lieutenant Welsh, he's the platoon commander" she ordered him and the soldier nodded and continued running in the direction she just came from. Standing alone Becca moved her shoulder in the best circle she could, wincing she stopped and turned around walking back, more carefully this time.

"Becca!" said Dick sighing with relief "I woke up and you were gone" he said, a lop-sided smile on his face as she sat back down in the foxhole.

"Go back to sleep Dick" she said sitting up in the foxhole and Dick closed his eyes again, the tiredness slightly showing on his face, Becca however knew she wasn't getting any more sleep relieved Welshie of his duty. "Hey Welshie, Harry, I got this, get some shut eye" she said and he left wordlessly with only a nod.

"Hello, Miss Atkins" greeted Nix as she stood next to him, rolling her eyes she nudged him playfully, "what's a girl like you doing here?" he asked her.

"Well I was at home, someone bombed my house, I ended up here" she said to him playfully and he gave her a look "alright, call for medic had me up and running but Roe had got there first so I came back and couldn't get back to sleep…put Dick back to bed" she chuckled.

"Tuck him in did you?" he asked chuckling to.

"May as well of done" she replied, "how you are doing Lew?" she asked him.

"Oh, you know me…the usual" he said vaguely and she rolled her eyes at him, "remember that night in Aldbourne when you got drunk when there was that pretty blonde about" he laughed.

"Not my finest night, I think I kissed you and Dick both" she said blushing to him "and you said I was prettier than her" she said smugly, a smile coming across her face.

"Well of course…I could use a drink about now" he commented and Becca only rolled her eyes, unlike Harry, Lew couldn't really stop when he needed to, she knew Dick had been strict with Harry about it in his first week she'd heard but Lew didn't seem to heed his friends warnings.

The rest of the night was quiet, nobody else needed a medic, the German's finally called it quits on their choir night and the two opposing sides waited for morning, the inevitable counter attack was imminent, they had all known that the town had been too easy for something so important and Becca expected there to be a lot of rubbish thrown at her tomorrow, in her musing the silence was broken again.

"You know he only says the things he does because he cares" said Lewis sighing.

"I know" she said to him, their tones matching "but…I don't even know…coming from him it's just different you know what I mean…with you it's a big brotherly thing, I mean I don't speak Yank but ' _don hurt ya self or al tell mom'_ but I don't know what it's like from him at all, but I know Lew, I know" she said and her faced sagged again but quickly recovered to its normal plain face with happier undertones.

"That was the worst New York accent I have ever heard" he said before looking down on her "if you're my adopted sister than you're going to have to stop talking like I'm from Texas, that's where weird things happened and your mother and your aunt are the same person" he said chuckling slightly, Becca joined his laughter and nodded, her smile wide.

 **I'm not one for author's notes anymore but as you know Donald Malarkey passed away on the 30** **th** **September 2017 and even though he'd never admit it he was a hero, in his own time and now, I would like to say thank you to him, for everything he did. Thank you, Malarkey, Skip's waiting.**


	8. I didn't think you danced

"Dick wake up" shook Becca as she had a hand on Dick's shoulder, thankful that Dick was an easy riser and didn't moan or groan. Satisfied he was awake she found Roe. Her joints were still bothering her and she knew the bruises were getting worse, she daren't look at the damage she'd done. However, she'd still rather that than ask Roe to check it over. "Corporal Roe" she said as she got nearer and he ambled over.

"What's the news Lieutenant?" he asked her as he stood in front of her.

"Counter attack this morning is highly likely so get ready, I want you to stick with first platoon, Spina will stick with third and I'll cover second and all other bases if needed" she commanded before she asked Roe of the incident last night "What happened last night?" she asked him, her commanding tone disappearing, her nursing voice came about her.

"Smith stabbed Talbert a few times with his bayonet, though he was a German because of that poncho, didn't hit anything vital, he'll be okay" assured Roe.

"Guess they didn't teach him, right?" she smiled cheekily, her smile more a smirk.

"Who, Talbert?" asked Roe confused, his head still in the event.

"No Smith, and let's be thankful he wasn't" she laughed and as it clicked with Roe he chuckled too. "I'll be off, get ready for a lot, they've got the heavy stuff" she warned and left him to sort out his medical bag. Rubbing her face, she took off for second platoon as the first shells began to hit.

"MORTAR"  
"INCOMING! EVERYBODY IN THE HOLE!"  
"DOWN, DOWN, DOWN"

Dick kept in with second platoon, merely of habit she supposed, right at the forefront of the action and he didn't falter once and neither did the soldiers under his command. "Watch out for silhouettes on the horizon! Find your target! Muzzle fire" he said as he knelt at the front of the men, popping off his rifle "Perconte! Get your men in order, stay low, pour it on then, Perconte, to your left" he said without a single movement of his head, he could see everything he needed to but Becca was on the alert for the calls of Medic and it was not long until they happened.

"MEDIC" shouted a voice in the chaos "Medic" they repeated until she found them, nothing too serious she thought until she saw his leg bleeding out onto her.

"Okay sweetie you're going to be okay" she soothed as she started to work on his leg immediately, sticking the morphine straight in his thigh. Becca got her clamps from her bag, she knew they weren't sterile but knew it was her only chance. Nervous, she'd never done it before by herself, opening the wound she found the retracted artery and pulled it back down, securing her work she set the clamp and called two porters to take him away urgently. Wiping her forehead with her arm she marked herself with the man's blood. In no time she was off again.

"Medic"

Taking off running again Becca found her next patient, crying out for his mother he had three shots in his body. Only seconds away from dying Becca took the small liberty of holding his hand as he called for his mother "it's alright" she soothed and he passed away, no time to linger she was up and running again. Buck called for a medic for a man who had lost his finger and was directly in the firing line, crawling on her stomach, adrenaline not doing much for the pain anymore she groaned to get to him, dragging him down she bandaged his hand flat on her stomach before sending him away from the lines. Picking up running again she did a double take as she saw Harry and McGrath running into the line of fire with a bazooka. Transfixed watching them her heart raced and raced. Seeing the first one failing she blinked and stood close to the front lines, only one row of men between her and the Germans. Coming out of her trance she ran patient to patient, crawling, running, rolling, she found every one of them.

She was grateful she found nobody in her platoon wounded, other platoons had not been so lucky. Looking to Dick they both shared a worried expression as they saw Dog and Fox pulling back, their left flank gone. "Christ" she muttered before ducking low as more shells started to hit them, Easy was on its own.

Boom.

The hell was that?

"Shermans" she could hear many soldiers exclaiming, Becca smiled too, the second armoured had arrived.

It wasn't long until the battle was finally over and Easy moved into a secure location where the Division HQ had set up base. The men made their way back but Becca took the ambulance there, guiding the other medic with her. Seeing the man with a split fracture she took command of the patient herself pulling the joint into correct alignment, even through the morphine the man winced.

"I know, I am sorry" she apologised as she quickly got to work with the sulphur and bandages, the other medic looked at her with wide eyes "what's your name laddie?" she asked him, not looking up.

"Um, Corporal Taylor, ma'am" he said to her.

"Lieutenant Kingsley, when we reach the field hospital I want you to make yourself useful in triage" she ordered him as she let the porters get the man off the stretcher and she made her way into the hospital washing her hands she found the man she'd clamped the artery of.

Bringing his arm up to salute her, she gently stopped him from doing so he spoke to her "Thank you ma'am" he said to her, a sleepy smile on his face before the one of the nurses took him away and into the surgical department.

"Lieutenant with me" said one of the doctors to Becca and she followed him into the makeshift office near the temporary ward. Standing in the office she stood to attention in front of his desk looking straight ahead. Putting his hands on the table he spoke angrily "Was it you Lieutenant that clamped that soldier's artery with an unsterile clamp?" he asked her , slamming his hands on the desk he looked stressed.

Without flinching Becca replied "Yes, sir".

"Do you understand the complications now of what you have done?" he asked her unimpressed by her stoic reaction.

"Yes sir" she replied once again, her same stoic face remained intact.

"Do you understand that infection is now a major factor in that man's injury?"

"Yes sir, permission to speak sir" she asked him calmly, she knew he could not refuse her.

"Permission granted" he said waving a hand in her direction

"I found it more useful to first stop the man's bleeding before he could bleed to death on the battlefield as the femoral  
artery is one of the most vital arteries in the body, however this man already had dirt and grime in his wound, my hand  
also putting the clamp into his leg was less sterile that the clamp, here however he can receive antibiotics for his wound  
on he can safely have the leg removed, sir" said Rebecca, her voice not rising once and keeping her voice even.

"Very well, dismissed" the Doctor sighed running a hand through his hair as Becca left the office, finding herself a clean uniform she changed quickly bumping into Roe as she walked back down the ward, she nodded at him, solmen from her talking to from the young doctor in the office.

"You alright Lieutenant?" asked Roe as she stopped and looked at one of the free nurses, she nodded and carried on walking.

"Do you know the doctor running the front ward? I'm not sure why there isn't a matron in place" commented Rebecca, it took Roe a few seconds to zone into her talking to him.

"Doctor Hawkins" replied Roe, he'd been talking to one of the nurses in the department where he was looking over his patient.

"Oh" shrugged Rebecca.

"Apparently he's the best they've had, only transferred in four weeks before they shipped out, he's a colonel" added Roe and Becca blushed a bright red. Roe raised an eyebrow at her, she dismissed him finding them a ride back to the base.

 **D-day +25**

"Becca, I'm glad I caught you" said Dick catching her arm and walking with her out of the building where they had set up a CP. "We've got orders to move out, hot showers then back to England" he said to her, a little smile on his face which she returned.

"I'll be glad to be in a warm bed again...by have I missed Barnes' cooking" she laughed and he nodded in agreement. "How's the leg?" asked Becca looking to Dick's leg and he shrugged.

"A little sore" he shrugged at her and Becca rolled her eyes at him.

"Well when we get back to England on medic's orders you're to keep it light for a week" she said pointing at him, shaking her head and then folding her arms with a mock glare.

"Yes ma'am" he said jokingly with a wink "catch you later" he said and she waved him a goodbye making her way to the Aid Station to raid the supplies, her emptying bags concerning her, stealthily pinching what she wanted she made her way to officer's barracks and promptly fell asleep on the bed.

 **England June 30th 1944, the Barnes'**

"Hello" said Becca walking into Dick and hers shared room, she sat down on the bed and groaned in relief as the comfort of the bed. Dick joined her and she kicked off her boots.

"Good to be back" he said looking to Becca whilst she looked out of the window at the setting sun, unnoticed by her he smiled at her before looking back out.

"I need a wash and Mrs Barnes has drawn up a bath so I'll be with you in a minute" she said to him taking off for the bath, only through a thin wall, Dick could hear Becca wincing as she lowered into the water.

"You alright?" he asked her and she didn't reply, for the first time in a while her eyes began to sting with suppressed tears. The hot water highlighted every little nick on her body, some of the bigger wounds from the jump and some of the wounds from the building and the bruises against the bathtub made her wince more than she had imagined it would.

"Fine" she replied however her voice was filled with upset, furiously wiping at her eyes she lowered herself into the bath, closing her eyes tight as the pain was great.

"Are you sure?" asked Dick stood outside of the door, his face frowning with concern.

"Yes" she replied much more confidently than before, quickly washing Dick didn't leave the door. Finding the mirror on the opposite wall she took a look at her back, she gasped and a hand flew to her mouth, she hadn't wanted to see what she looked like now. Embarrassed by the sight of her she had never felt so ugly or unattractive. Her appearance was much worse than she imagined. The fire scar on her lower back remained, a painful reminder of the past, there now surrounded by many cuts and tears on her back and her shoulder blades and spin were bruised a blue and purple, her ribs at the front were discolored and tender, not an inch on her back it seemed wasn't covered in bruises. Where the muscles were torn and damaged in her soldier it was a pink colour, her right shoulder was purple and yellow. Once again wiping her eyes she made her way out of the door and came face to face with Dick who had the most concerned look on his face, watching her slip past him and into the room he caught a glimpse at the back of her and the bruises covering her top half. His face fell.

Leaving Becca for five minutes until she was decent he entered the room again. Looking at her with pitying eyes.

"I don't want your pity" she said to him kindly and he only sighed at her.

"Becca…" he started but found no words walking another step towards her he put a hand on her shoulder lightly through the thin nightwear she was wearing. "Does it hurt?"

"Yes...It'll heal, don't worry" she said trying to shrug him off.

"Don't take this the wrong way...I don't like this one bit, I don't like seeing you hurt" he said to her, his eyes kind. She nodded at him, before recalling her and Lewis' conversation in France.

"You know Lew said something funny in Carentan" she said to him and he looked at her intrigued "he said you only say the things you do because you care" she said to him, a half smile on her face and Dick nodded at her.

"He's right" said Dick, his voice very quiet, almost as if he didn't want Becca to hear. "I don't want you doing anything for a week maybe more, aid station fine, no heavy lifting, no rolling around, crawling, running, jumping, this is non negotiable Becca, I want you better" he said to her, a different fire in his eyes, Becca nodded at him, thankful now for the respite she was getting. Hearing the radio downstairs Becca smiled as she heard the song _I love you_ by Bing Crosby. Smiling to herself she swayed slightly listening with a slight smile on her face.

Taking her hand in his Dick lightly linked Becca's smaller hand in his larger one and then linking her other hand in his other conscious not to touch her back, he started to sway with the music and she smiled shyly up at him. "I thought you didn't dance?" she asked him through her hair, her unkempt and drying hair endearing him with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Only when I want to" he replied smiling again, the two swayed to the music, their bodies delicately together and Becca's head rested on his chest. After the song was up the two reluctantly parted and made for the bed and Becca laid flat on her stomach in an attempt to get comfortable. As Dick laid down next to her, her head facing his way he pressed a feather kiss to her temple. "Night Becca".


	9. I best be off

_A/N: I apologise for a) this author's note and b) anybody who liked 'Forget Me Not', I disliked the chapter and the sudden direction the story had taken, I'm sure you will understand, as ever, my regards._

"Morning Becca" smiled Dick as he looked on at the groggy girl opposite him at the Barnes' dinner table. Becca only shot him a glare, his fresh face was far too lively for her tastes. "Awe come on" he laughed and she just carried on eating her breakfast, hungry it was gone rather quickly.

"Post's here" called Mrs Barnes in the door as she walked through "look there is even one for you Miss Rebecca" she commented and laid a brown envelope next to her plate, as soon as Becca looked at the print of her address on the front she groaned internally.

"I got a letter from my little sister" smiled Dick "and one from mom and dad" he said a grin widening on his face.

"And I got one from my dear friends at the War Office" smiled Becca looking at Dick with a false smile.

"How do you know? You haven't yet opened it dear…it might even contain good news" said Mrs Barnes optimistically looking at Becca's face, she could see the young woman was crest fallen.

"Nobody but the war office sends me post and it has been that way for five years now and it never contains good news" said Becca shaking her head and carefully peeling the envelope, the letter was long and Becca poured over it with concerned eyes.

"Oh that is nice" exclaimed Dick "Beatrice has learnt to ride with her heels down and his been helping my grandmother on the farm more often, my dad writes that she's getting proficient at handling the equipment, she'll be turning fourteen next month as well" he smiled fondly looking at his letter before scanning on "and Ann, she asks how I am and she misses me dearly, oh and my mother asks of you Becca" he said, his eyes not leaving the letter he'd failed to notice that Becca had left the room and was pacing the hallway with the letter in her hands. "Becca?" he asked peering through the kitchen door.

"Um, yes?" she said, her face changing back to a pleasant morning smile.

"My mother, Edith, asks how you are" he said slowly looking up and down Becca's stiff form he asked, "something the matter?" he said a brow quirked up and looked at her inquisitive.

"No, nothing" she said unconvincingly but Dick nodded slowly anyway and walked back into the kitchen. Becca rolled up her sleeves and ran her fingers through her hair. Walking back up to her room slowly and still scanning over the letter she slumped on the edge of their shared bed before pausing to look out of the window, lost in her own thoughts. Becca didn't hear the conversation downstairs.

"Is Rebecca all right?" asked Mrs Barnes sitting down at the table, Mr Barnes listening in on their conversation.

"I don't know; she doesn't tell us much, some of the time the brass doesn't know what she's doing, all we know is she came back from Africa and was assigned to No. 2 Commando at the beginning of the war after her nurse training" shrugged Dick looking out of the door that Becca had just left through.

"She's a tough cookie Richard, I'm sure she can handle it" assured Mr Barnes as he took a bite out of his breakfast and sip of his drink.

"She was injured in Normandy" said Dick after a pause and Mrs Barnes' quirked an eyebrow for him to continue "I'm sure you know that sometimes a medic can't get to a casualty, it's impossible, one guy had been given up on by our medic's but Becca got him, she went sweeping up the battlefield for casualties missed by medics but she paid a price; her back is cut and bruised as are her ribs…she's insisting she's fine" recounted Dick and the two Barnes' looked at each other worriedly.

"Make sure she takes care of herself" commanded Mrs Barnes shaking her head at Rebecca's actions.

"I do try but she's been doing this longer than me, surely she knows?" asked Dick looking at Mr Barnes a former army Captain.

"What do you actually know about her?" asked Mr Barnes with an eyebrow raised and his arms folded.

"She trained with the No.2 commando, she's served in Africa, Italy and France with them, she's a nurse" replied Dick struggling to recall any solid fact that Rebecca had told him "but I do know she's excellent at her job and incredibly brave" he added with a slight smile on his face, "which leads to blind recklessness most of the time" he finished.

"I see…does she talk about her family?" asked Mr Barnes, Dick shook his head in reply, "about her training?" he asked.

"She says it was the hardest thing anybody could ever experience, the usual commando training" Dick shrugged, suddenly aware of how little he knew Rebecca, she on the other hand knew the ins and outs of his training and his family life.

"She wasn't wrong" commented Mr Barnes, "it seems Miss Kingsley should remain a mystery to us" he smiled before leaving the table, almost turned around before Dick stopped him.

"Lieutenant Kingsley" he said automatically.

"Yes, I apologise" smiled Mr Barnes before carrying on, Dick nodded and made his way back up the stairs to find Rebecca.

Rebecca stood at the window almost unrecognisable to Dick as he walked through the door. She wore her nursing dress, her hair perfectly pinned to her head, almost stylishly, black shined shoes on her feet, her one pair of nylons and looked fresher than normal; lighter without the webbing, packs, and medics kit (now residing in her black bag at her feet). Despite her polished appearance, Becca did not look light hearted or happy. Wordlessly she turned to Dick and tried her best at a smile. Looking at her bag Dick looked back up at her face and it dropped.

"Are you leaving?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Yes, my train leaves in half an hour" she replied her voice as strained.

"Why?" he asked her, taking a step forward only for Becca to take a step back from him.

"I've been ordered to London, they need all the help they can get" she replied, "I must be off Lieutenant" she added, her voice breaking, before snapping into a salute before scuttling out of the door, Dick turned around and looked down the stairs to see her hugging both the Barnes', looking back up at him she smiled almost invisibly and left the door. Running a hand through his hair Dick entered their bedroom, watching Becca walk out on the pavement below.

Walking briskly down the pavement lost in her own thoughts Becca was startled by the face in front of her. "Where you going to Lieutenant?" the unmistakable voice of Malarkey asked.

"London" she smiled at them "I may be gone a while to" she said with a slight smile.

"You kiddin'?" asked Skip next to him "we gonna be getting a replacement?" he asked.

"I'm not sure" she replied a slight frown "If you do, give em' hell" she winked "I best be off" she said and pushed through them and carried on her way.

"Why she been pulled? Don't seem right" frowned Malarkey.

"She's combined forces isn't she?" replied Skip, his frown equally as deep.

"Yeah, but after all she's done? I bet they don't tell us anything either" said Malarkey shaking his head.

"She might be back yet" said Skip optimistically and carried on their way, towards the park, a game of baseball being set up between the 2nd battalion.

The train for London set off and Rebecca sat in her 3rd class compartment along with the women and the children of the populace. She was well aware of the looks given to her by the women on the train, especially the younger ones, the British women hadn't taken to kindly to the American nurses stealing the hearts of their men, she smiled…they didn't know a thing.

Pulling a pen and paper out from her bag she tried to put pen to paper.

Richard, Lieutenant Winters

I apologise for the circumstances in which I have been given and my abrupt departure from the Barnes' residence.

Pausing, her mind went dry, she couldn't think of anything more to write. She had everything to say and nothing to write. This time pulling out her diary she started again.

 _Friday 30_ _th_ _June 1944_

 _Left the Barnes' house at half past eight on the way to London to work at St. Thomas' hospital in the near future. I couldn't say goodbye to him today. I left him with a salute and nothing more, how I shall miss him when and gone and the rest for that matter. I thought I had done with the God forsaken business; the hospital is worse than the battlefield, men full of hope to released back into service only to be killed once again or men we cannot save and have an unshakeable faith in us, the complaints of family members that we did not do our best. I would much prefer to be with my unit, the unit. I have been stripped of one company before, I did not wish it to happen again. Admittedly I do not know the NCOs or the enlisted men too well, not like I know my officers. My back is still in pieces but the show must go on, at the hospital I can treat it myself or in the confidence of one of my nurses, they worry too much, I have seen far more and done far more than they think. I am told St. Thomas' is a fine hospital and my ward is renowned for good care, in a sense that is a relief, I couldn't bear to work on a ward renowned for poor care, hygiene or maintenance. A part of me wants Easy to forget I ever existed, I will not be the same when I leave here._

 _RPK, A train bound for London_

The train pulled into Kings Cross Station and Rebecca was thankful for the fresh air the platform gave and the ability to blend into the crowd once she stepped out. Walking out of the station she stopped for a moment. Deciding to walk across London to the hospital Rebecca paused only momentarily to look down the Victoria Embankment as she walked across Waterloo Bridge across the Thames river. Noting the places where she had visited when she had studied in London were being rebuilt as she walked; despite the bomb damage Becca noted that London had not changed whilst away.

It took her longer than expected to reach St. Thomas' but she didn't feel quite as down after the long walk in the fresh air. Arriving at the hospital the rush hit her immediately. "Hello?" she said tapping on the reception glass window, what she called her 'nurse smile' on her face.

"How can I help you?" smiled the young girl behind the glass, she was younger than Becca, around nineteen years old, pretty, Becca handed over her papers with a flash smile, reading over the papers quickly, the girl smiled. "Follow me" she smiled and came out from her box. Taking her to the end of the corridor she gave Becca a set of simple instructions.

"Thank you" Becca smiled carrying on finding a place to change into her whites before reporting. Folding her uniform into her bag Becca moved along the ward to report to the main admin room, the informality of the hospital compared to the infantry was a welcome change.

"Nurse Kingsley" smiled the fresh-faced head nurse, Becca however did not find her change of title welcome, everyone seemed to have a 'nurse smile' on their face "I'm glad you're here, some of these girls are a little slow on the uptake and I have it you're highly sort out" she said standing up to shake Becca's hand. "Whilst here, you'll be working directly under me, you'll take charge of the ward when I'm not here and run the nursing side of things, I'll handle the paperwork side of things, though the usual will still have to be done" she said leading Becca out of the room and down the ward, quieter than any other area of the hospital Becca had seen.

"Understood ma'am" said Rebecca almost automatically "I'm sorry, I understand" she corrected herself, rolling her eyes at herself.

"Don't worry, call me Minnie between us two, Nurse Holiday any other time" she smiled at Becca again, and Becca returned it before watching a nurse with a male patient and quickly deviated over.

"I don't know what to do!" the nurse in question cried looking at Becca for help, she knew in reality she should call the doctor but looking at her monitor she could tell what was happening, grabbing a needle from the tray next to the bed she ripped open the packet and stabbed it in the left-hand side of man's chest and it popped back at her. Placing the needle down on the tray again she felt relieved.

"That is not in your jurisdiction Nurse Kingsley" a stern-faced Minnie reprimanded her whilst a shocked and thankful nurse looked at her in awe. Becca frowned.

"My jurisdiction is to save my patient's life and that man was on the verge of a cardiac arrest" Becca replied heatedly and Minnie stepped down to Becca's surprise before she noticed she had the eyes of every person on the ward on her, Becca felt as if she had been unreasonably harsh in her tone. Her face scarlet she collected the paper and the needle for the bin and sterilisation respectively. Walking away the nurses continued and the nurse she had taken over from followed her.

"Nurse Kingsley" the woman said tentatively behind her.

"Yes?" asked Becca starting to fill in a log.

"Was I supposed to know what to do then?" the girl asked.

"No, what I did there was something that takes five years of medical school…a neat trick I learned in Africa from the best doctor I've worked with" explained Becca and noticed the girl's face relax slightly.

"Nurse Walters, or Kath" she said in introduction.

"Lieutenant Kingsley, or Becca" she smiled introducing herself to before turning around checking the patient she had just punctured. "Hello, I'm Nurse Kingsley, I am going to be monitoring you as long as you stay on this ward, first I'm going to record some observations then take a look over your injuries, any abnormal pains or bleeding you need to tell me about?" she asked him, her tone clipped but friendly, her pen poised over the clipboard.

"Nothing" the man grunted, his face stoic unlike before.

"That's good" she said smiling at him, _I know you're lying_ she thought. Becca, put her gloves on before pressing the man's ribs, and he let out a small grunt. "Is that painful, Corporal?" she asked him.

"No" he said to her still frowning.

"There is no point in being difficult about it" she sighed still pressing his ribs and writing down her observations, grabbing the attention of an assistant walking past she asked "can you please grab the doctor for this ward, thank you" she said politely, taking a stethoscope from the tray next to his bed she listened in on his chest, a worried expression took on her face before recording his heart beat, taking his blood pressure she realised it was too high for something not to be wrong, smiling at the doctor she was ignored.

Starting on the patient the man was much less difficult than with her and Becca was confused, she hadn't done anything. Trying to give her notes to the doctor as he too wanted to take the blood pressure too, "I've already done that" she said quietly as she realised it was futile trying to talk to him, Ordering the patient to be wheeled away by the porters, Becca stood their exasperated.

"Get used to it Kingsley, you're not top dog anymore" huffed another Nurse before she stalked off, Becca could swear she'd heard that voice before.


	10. Oliver

"Get used to it Kingsley, you're not top dog anymore" huffed another Nurse before she stalked off, Becca could swear she'd heard that voice before.

"Excuse me? Have we met before?" asked Becca standing in the middle of the ward but the other nurse did not turn around to face her.

"Yes, we've met before" the other nurse hissed to her.

"Where?" asked Becca "Have I wronged you?" she asked her kindly and confused, sure there was some confusion.

"No, not me" she said vaguely but still as harsh before she moved on to another patient, Rebecca noted that she too was well apt at her job, but she could swear she'd seen her face before, shaking her head she carried on checking, monitoring, cleaning and making small talk.

Finishing her shift, she made her way to the sleeping quarters at the opposite side of the road.

Making her way inside she was to share a room with another nurse, Mary Jones. Finding her way to the room she found it locked despite her best attempts to get inside, her new roommate had her key. Finding her roommate glammed up and ready to go out she wished her well and sat on the edge of her bed head in hands. The room felt cold around her and her small, stiff bed seemed to laugh at her.

Dick was not having the best night he had ever had, deciding to stay in instead of going to the pub with both Harry and Lew he sat on the bed with a book. He could not concentrate. Placing a book mark in the book and the book on the bedside table he ran his fingers through his hair and over his face, looking over at the empty space next to him. "Why?" he asked himself, Becca's snap salute in his mind, he was sure there was tears in her eyes when she left, but Becca? No, Becca didn't cry. He wondered as he sat there why she didn't bade him a goodbye, why she looked so emotionless but so full of emotion. Shaking his head, he allowed himself to sleep, all too aware of the space beside him.

Uncomfortable and unable to sleep for the nattering next door she pulled herself out of bed and knocked on the door to find the face of the nurse from the ward today. "Kingsley" she said to her blocking the door frame.

"Callaghan" Becca replied, the nurse's name on the tip of her tongue, why hadn't she seen it before? This was Oliver's sister and she knew why she was angry.

"What do you want?" asked Nurse Eleanor Callaghan, her pretty face stern.

"I need your help, please" begged Becca, her smile tense, her eyes pleading, Eleanor Callaghan nodded.

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"A building fell on me" replied Becca before she couldn't see a smile on Eleanor's face she added "whilst in France, trying to get to a man nobody could get to" she said coughing at the end and looking away, Eleanor nodded and let her in the door, her eyes were sad.

Becca lifted up her top a little and Eleanor's mouth pulled into an uncomfortable line and Becca smiled at her tensely, collecting her nurses bag, they all kept one with them, she set it down and Becca shimmed her top to the bottom of her breasts whilst Eleanor tended to Becca's wounds, applying salve, antiseptic and bandages to them. Becca winced.

"Thank you, Callaghan" smiled Becca.

"My brother was in love with you" wept Eleanor, her voice was raw, and Becca's shoulder's slumped as she turned to look at Eleanor sat on the edge of the bed, her arms were folded around her "and you left him", Becca's eyes too seemed to be filling.

"I know" replied Becca her voice breaking as she said it, she refused to cry again over Oliver Callaghan.

"Why did you leave him?" asked Eleanor "why?" she said louder and almost screamed, Becca flinched.

"I had too" Becca replied, "Oliver was already under by the time I could reach him, I tried to pull him out but he told me to go before I got burnt or shot, we were under fire and suffering heavy casualties, we were never going to make it out, I couldn't disobey his order, Major Charlton was there too…"

" _You heard the Captain, Kingsley, MOVE! GOD DAMN MOVE!" shouted Major Charlton as he pulled Becca away from the wreckage, Captain Callaghan had started to screech as the flames licked his skin, the smell of burning flesh in the air._

 _Becca looked once more into Oliver's eyes._

" _Becca, get out of here, get out, save yourself" he said shouting "Becca go!" he said before he started to screech again._

 _Major Charlton's hand curled around Becca's arm and they started to run away. Another bomb hit next to a pile of debris, it caught fire. The debris hit Becca and the flames quickly caught on her uniform, shedding her shirt as fast as she could she was left in her half-burnt base and her scorched trousers, the black from her top and jacket marking her skin, her hair had fallen about her shoulders, her face red and the pair set off running again, faster than they ever had, quickly drenched in sweat but dehydrated they reached to trucks, swinging themselves on the back of the truck setting off. Charlton landed on top of Becca rolling her on her back to which she screamed, she rolled back on her side only to see the rest of her dead comrades laid out on the African expanse._

" _JOHNSON!" shouted Charlton rattling his wide eyed second medic from his shirt lapels who nodded, shaking, starting the procedure Becca had taught him to treat burn wounds on the move and in the field. Becca's screaming and ripped top was making the ten others in the truck nervous, finally Johnson found his last syrette of morphine._

"The scar on my back, the large burn, that's what I go trying to save your brother" she said closing her eyes tight as if I would make the images leave her mind. "I know it doesn't bring your brother back, I know it won't save Oliver, but I'm sorry, I tried to save him, I did, I wouldn't have left him if I had the choice" assured Becca her hands sifting through her hair as she put her back to the wall.

Eleanor did not reply. Becca left the room.

Pulling out her diary she found a picture of Lewis, Richard and Harry stood at the top of one of the hills on the training routes. She'd swapped her standard issue cigarettes for the picture and looked at it from her bed. She ran a finger over Dick's face and brought her hand away, holding the picture close. They all looked so happy but knackered, she smiled, Lew was looking over at Harry with a laugh on his face as the two heavy drinkers were holding their thighs and Dick in the middle looked victorious over the top of them, holding his arms to show his biceps, a wide smile on his face.

" _A visitor, Corporal, Major Charlton" smiled the nurse sweetly over Becca's head, cracking open an eye she shook her head._

" _I don't want to see him" Becca croaked. The nurse smiled a thin line._

" _He said you'd say that, only he's come from the War Office with orders, you don't have a choice" the Nurse smiled again and carried off down the ward, Becca could see Charlton looking around the ward with a distasteful look._

" _It's not so pleasant if you're not an officer" remarked Becca "or a good-looking male" she winced and Charlton gave her a sincere smile._

" _A pleasure to see you Corporal" he remarked awkwardly "I hope you're on the quick mend" he laughed tightly._

" _Likewise, Major" she smiled before her tone dropped "what do you want?" she asked._

" _For you to get out of hospital and show these bloody Americans how it's done" he chortled._

" _Sir?"_

" _Africa was a disaster, that much is clear, the 101st Airborne Division, 506_ _th_ _Parachute Infantry Regiment ship in soon and my brass want you to join them" stated Charlton, "you're to join Easy Company, the main assault company" he added and Becca nodded, daunted. He turned to leave her bedside before turning back around "and oh, congratulations Lieutenant Kingsley, your information should be in this envelope" he winked and walked out, despite Becca's confusion she smirked._


End file.
